When I Was A Little Girl
by Chibi J
Summary: *complete* What happens if Usagi's life is altered at a young age? How will the story line bend and change from the original?
1. Prologue

When I Was A Little Girl  
  
Prologue  
  
By: Chibi J  
  
Rated: G, but does involve death  
  
This is an alternate reality. Eventually, all of the senshi will be involved, if Pluto doesn't kill me for messing with the time line first!  
  
I don't make any claim to owning Sailor Moon. I leave that to people who can afford to pay their rent.   
  
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*  
  
When I was a little girl, my mother told me that I was a miracle. She said that an angel had descended from heaven and blessed her with the most beautiful baby girl. My father told me the full moon had shone so brightly the night I was born that it seemed almost daylight. He said that I was born with a full head of hair that shined so that even the sun was jealous. Grandmother Tsukino believed that I would change the world. Grandfather Tsukino said that I would break hearts.   
  
  
  
When I was five years old, my mother gave birth to a boy. My parents named him Shingo. My mother said that he was a wonderful gift and my father was proud to know that the family name would carry on. I thought that he was a little squirmy, but Grandfather Tsukino assured me that I was worse when I was a baby. Grandmother Tsukino told me that I should be proud to be a big sister. I promised her that I would always take care of him.  
  
  
  
When I was seven years old and Shingo was two, my mother sent us to visit with our grandfather, her father. My mother, father, Grandmother and Grandfather Tsukino were going on a trip to America. Grandfather Tsukino's brother had left a large estate to my family and they had to go to New York for the reading of the will.   
  
  
  
Although I hated being separated from my parents, I rather enjoyed visiting with Grandfather Hikui. My cousin Hino Rei, although we looked nothing alike, was the same age as me. It was nice to play with her, especially since Shingo was going through his terrible twos and often threw temper tantrums.  
  
  
  
My parents had been gone almost a week when my Grandfather Hikui told me that my mother was on the phone and wanted to talk to me. She assured me that they were finally completed with all of the paperwork surrounding my great uncle's death and she would be home in a couple days.  
  
  
  
"My little bunny, I will see you at home shortly. I have presents for you and Shingo. I also have a special surprise for you both. I love you dearly. Give your brother a kiss and tell him that I'll see him soon."  
  
"Momma, I miss you."  
  
"I know dear. But do not fear. I will be in your dreams as you will always be in mine."  
  
"Yes Momma. I love you."  
  
"I love you too, my darling Usako."  
  
I hung up the phone and smiled. Shingo walked in the room and I shared the news that mother and father would soon be returning. At first he pouted, because I did not call him to the phone to talk to mother. But as quickly, as all two year olds do, he became excited, knowing that our parents would soon be home. We began dancing around the room Rei looked on us with sad eyes. When I noticed her watching us, I stopped dancing and ran to give her a big hug. When Rei's mother had died, her father sent her to live with Grandfather Hikui. Although she loved Grandfather very much, she missed the closeness that her family had shared.   
  
  
  
Twelve days had passed since my family left for America and they were due back in six hours. I had been playing with Rei all day and felt exhausted. Although I had grown out of taking naps, I knew that my parents flight would be in late that evening and I wanted to be wide awake.   
  
  
  
As often in sleep, I didn't feel that I had been asleep for very long when I began to have a strange dream. My mother and father were sitting in large chairs with my grandmother and grandfather sitting behind them. They were smiling and laughing at a joke my father was telling. My mother was lightly rubbing her belly when there was a loud banging noise. Mother looked up startled as father rose to his feet. There was another loud bang and my father hunched over and disappeared. Suddenly, there were more loud bangs and my grandmother and grandfather hunched over and disappeared. My mother stared forward, not really seeing anything. There was another bang. As my mother began to fall over, she turned and looked to me.   
  
  
  
"Do not fear. I will be in your dreams as you will always be in mine."  
  
I shot up in bed, panting, with sweat dripping down my face and back. I turned to look at the clock. It was six in the evening. I had been asleep for two hours, although it felt like less than ten minutes. There were still four hours until my parents' flight was due in Tokyo airport. The dream stuck out in my mind as I dressed and descended the stairs for dinner. Rei and Shingo were sitting at the table watching Grandfather cook. I joined them, although I truly did not feel hungry.  
  
  
  
After dinner was complete, I began to wash the dishes with Rei. Shingo was running around the dinner table as Grandfather tried to catch him to give him a bath. I was passing a dish to Rei when the phone rang. Startled, I dropped the plate. I began to pick up the pieces of the plate while Grandfather answered the phone. I began staring out the window behind the sink as I half listened to him answering questions on the phone. Although it was dark outside, I thought that I saw someone standing outside dressed in a beautiful white dress.  
  
  
  
"Do not fear. I will be in your dreams as you will always be in mine."  
  
I felt the blood rush from my face as I fell from the stool at the sink. Rei began to shake me and ask me if I was all right. Ignoring Rei's pleas, I silently stood and turned to look at Grandfather on the phone. I could feel tears rushing down my cheeks as his eyes met mine. There was no use in his attempt to hide the horror that shone in his eyes. At that moment I knew that my dream was not just a dream. It was a living nightmare.  
  
When I was seven years old and my brother was two, I watched our parents being lowered in the ground. The next day, I watched my Grandmother and Grandfather Tsukino join them. Rei stood on my right side holding my hand and Shingo stood on my left with his arms wrapped around my legs. Grandfather Hikui stood behind us with one hand upon my shoulder and one on Rei's. I felt great comfort from his touch, although it did not heal all of my pain.   
  
Throughout everything that had occurred, I had not yet cried, not since the phone call had first come to the shrine. I could not cry. I needed to be strong for Shingo. I had promised Grandmother Tsukino that I would always take care of him. However, two days after my grandparents' funeral, after tucking Shingo into bed, I finally allowed myself to cry. I was crying so hard that I never heard Rei enter my room.   
  
  
  
"Usagi. I know you are sad. I was very sad when my mother died too. I know the pain will not go away, but I promise you that it will get better."  
  
I wiped my eyes and looked up at Rei. Although I knew she was right, I still was not quite ready to accept what had happened to my family. Rei sat down next to me and wrapped me up in a big hug. I began to cry on her shoulder and slowly drifted into sleep.   
  
I awoke the next morning to find Rei sleeping on the floor next to my bed. I was very grateful to have such a good friend in my cousin. I quietly got out of bed and walked over to look at myself in the mirror. My face was slightly pale with dried salt trails where my tears had fallen. As I stared at my reflection, I thought I saw something move behind me. I looked around to see Rei still sleeping in the same position. I looked back to my reflection and saw something glowing behind me. I closed my eyes and heard some whispering behind me. I closed my eyes tighter and concentrated on the whispering.  
  
  
  
"My little bunny."   
  
  
  
"Momma, I'm scared. I will never be able to see you again."   
  
"Do not fear. I will be in your dreams as you will always be in mine."  
  
"Momma, I love you. I miss you."  
  
"I love you too, my darling Usako."  
  
I opened my eyes and found myself staring at my reflection in the mirror. I rubbed my eyes and turned around to see Rei still sleeping on the floor. My cousin had lost her mother and her father could not take care of her, yet she was still able to go on.   
  
In that moment, I decided that everything would be all right. I decided that it was okay to be sad, but I still need to live my life and help my brother live his. I know that I will never forget my mother and father or my grandparents, but I am sure that they would want Shingo and I to live a happy life.  
  
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~ 


	2. Chapter One

When I Was A Little Girl  
  
Chapter 1  
  
By: Chibi J  
  
Rated: G  
  
Everyone sing: If I had a million dollars (If I had a million dollars), I'd buy up Sailor Moon! And maybe I would buy a small house for my hubby and I to live happily ever after.  
  
But, since I have no million, I don't own. Please don't sue or I surely will not be able to pay the rent.  
  
Oh, you will see single quotes 'like this' later in the story. I'm sure when the time comes, you will understand why.  
  
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*  
  
When I was a little girl, my parents were killed. Grandfather told me that a man had somehow gotten a gun onto the plane they were traveling on. He was crazy and began shooting at the people on the plane without reason. My father tried to talk to him, but the man shot him. He then shot and killed my grandmother, grandfather, and my mother. A newspaper article revealed that the man had shot off nine bullets before he shot himself. He killed nine people, himself, and my unborn baby sister.   
  
  
  
After my parents' death, my Grandfather Hikui gained permanent custody of Shingo and I. Although I was sad to have to leave my home, I was grateful to be living with my cousin Rei. She and I had become as close as sisters in a short time and depended on each other for everything. It was because of Rei's strength and understanding that I was able to be happy again after the death of my parents.   
  
After staying in an orphanage for two weeks while the government worked out guardianship with Grandfather, I was grateful to be back with my family. We were only there a short time, but I was grateful to know that I would never have to return. Many of the other children were unfriendly and some even cruel. Shingo was only two and I constantly feared for him. There was another girl there, who was also seven, that lost her parents on the same plane as mine. I tried to talk to her, but she would usually just sit by the window, staring, as the planes flew by.  
  
A few weeks after we moved in, Grandfather decided that it was time for me to go back to school. He enrolled me at TA Private School for Girls, where Rei attended. I was worried about going to a new school, afraid I wouldn't make any new friends. However, Rei assured me that she would always be there and that I would make friends in no time.   
  
For a while, it seemed she was right. Rei already had a few friends, though a lot of kids thought her strange for having no parents. Most of the children at school regarded me in the same way. For the most part, Rei and I depended on each other for friendship, which didn't bother us as much as I had originally thought.   
  
Grandfather Hikui had once told me that Rei, Shingo, and I were all born with special gifts that we would inherit as we became older. He told me that we would be able to understand things and do things that very few people could. I never understood what he meant until I was in fourth grade.   
  
*~*  
  
"Alright class, it is time to pass up your work."  
  
I turned and watched as Rei passed up her assignment with a smile on her face. She always did well on her class work. I never did well on in-class assignments. There just was not enough time to think everything out. I was getting frustrated at myself and didn't hear the teacher walk up beside me. I suddenly looked up and noticed her.  
  
"I asked everyone to pass in their work."  
  
"I'm sorry, I got a little distracted." I handed her my work.  
  
"I will tell you what. How about I check your work right now."   
  
'I'm sure it is all wrong.'   
  
"Excuse me?"  
  
"I said that I am going to check your paper!"   
  
As the teacher walked to her desk, I turned and stared at Rei. She, in turn, looked at me like I was crazy for talking back to the teacher. I simply shrugged my shoulders and turned to look at my teacher again.  
  
'I swear, I need to find a new job. These kids are so stupid these days, I don't know what to do.'  
  
I looked around and found that no one had heard what she said except for me. I wasn't sure how it could be possible, since I was sitting in the third row. I turned to Rei again. This time, she was starring at my teacher with her mouth wide open. It appeared that she had heard her this time.  
  
'Boy, am I glad I'm not the only one who heard it.' I thought to myself.  
  
Rei simply nodded at me.  
  
'Rei, did you hear me?'  
  
Rei nodded again, although she looked very unsure of why I would ask something so silly. 'Baka-Usagi, of course I heard you, duh! With your voice, I'm sure they heard you down the hall!'  
  
'Except that I didn't say it out loud! I said it in my head!'  
  
Rei, who had already been looking at me, started starring at my lips.  
  
'Usagi, do it again.'  
  
'Do what again Rei?' I thought innocently.   
  
"AAAGGGHHH!!!!" Rei screamed loudly throughout the classroom, before dropping her head and banging it on her desk.  
  
"Rei, what is the matter with you?" My teacher asked as she ran to Rei's desk in what must have been a record speed.  
  
"Gomen, Sensei, there is nothing wrong. I was just thinking of something," she said as she threw me a dirty look, "and startled myself."  
  
"Rei, that behavior is not appropriate in school. I will expect you to stay after school for detention for disrupting the class." As the teacher began to walk away, Rei looked at her and scowled.   
  
'Ha, and your stupid cousin will be joining you for failing her test!'  
  
My mouth practically dropped to the floor as Rei turned to me with a smile.  
  
'Serves you right, Usagi.'  
  
'Rei, you are so mean sometimes.'  
  
As expected, later that day, I received notice from the teacher that I would indeed have to stay after school with Rei, due to my terrible assignment. Since we were forced to sit at opposite sides of the room, so we couldn't talk, we decided to try out our newly discovered power.  
  
'Rei, can you hear me?'  
  
'Hai. Usagi, isn't this really weird?'  
  
'Well, Grandfather always told us that we were special. Although I just thought he said that to make us feel good. I guess his stories about power were real.'  
  
'Usagi, do you think we should tell Grandfather about this?'  
  
'Hai, we should. He was the one who told us in the first place if you think about it.'  
  
Rei was about to respond when the door swung open to reveal our teacher waltzing into the classroom. Not wasting a moment, we both tried to center in on the woman's thoughts.  
  
'I have a date, la la la la, I have a date.' "Girls, I am feeling generous today. You may now be excused."  
  
We both tried not to laugh out loud at our teacher's attempt at a stern voice, after hearing her singing to herself about a date. However, not to spoil the opportunity, Rei and I got up, bowed respectfully, and ran out the door.  
  
To excited to do anything else, Rei and I ran home as fast as we could to share the information of our "gift" with Grandfather. He was sweeping the temple steps with Shingo playing nearby. We both looked down in shame as we approached Grandfather, knowing full well that sweeping the steps was our after-school chore.  
  
'Girls, can't live with them, can't live without them. What will I do with these two.' Grandfather thought with a smile on his face.   
  
Rei and I looked up, to see Grandfather smiling. Knowing that he would never be truly mad at his only two granddaughters, Rei stole the broom from him, while I grabbed a broom that had been lying nearby.  
  
"So what happened to you to that made you so late today?" Grandfather said with a stern voice. 'Usagi probably failed another assignment and Rei probably got snippy with the teacher. Ha!'  
  
With his thoughts came fear. Fear from the look of upset his granddaughters were giving him.  
  
"Grandfather, do you think I can only fail assignments!" I yelled as tears began to swell in my eyes.  
  
"And I didn't get snippy! I screamed because Usagi scared me half to death!" Rei yelled at her grandfather just as loud as me, but without the tears.  
  
"I didn't say...."  
  
"You didn't have to," I responded, wiping the tears from my eyes, "we could hear what you were thinking."  
  
'Are you serious?' Grandfather Hikui thought to himself, trying not to make eye contact with either of us.  
  
"Very serious!" Rei yelled at him. "I could hear you crystal clear!"  
  
'Grandfather, can you hear me?' I thought quietly.  
  
'Yes my dear, I can.'  
  
I smiled brightly at Grandfather, who seemed to be gleaming with pride. Rei seemed very confused, since I had concentrated on only Grandfather and he answered only to me. Realizing that Rei was puzzled, Grandfather decided to fill her in.  
  
'Rei, Usagi, not only can you read my thoughts, but I can read yours. This is a special power that flows through our blood. I passed it on to both of your mothers as my parents did to me. As Shingo grows, he will also discover this ability. You will soon learn that you have other powers in your mind. But you must always be careful. There are people in the world that will try to exploit your abilities.'  
  
'Hai, Grandfather.' We thought in unison.   
  
"Well, now, I think it is time you girls began to work on your chores. Shingo will come with me to began dinner." Grandfather stated with authority as he left us with our brooms.  
  
'Rei, does this make us strange?'  
  
'No Usagi, I think it makes us special, just like Grandfather always said.'   
  
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~  
  
ChibiJ77@yahoo.com 


	3. Chapter Two

When I Was A Little Girl  
  
Chapter 2  
  
By: Chibi J  
  
Rated: G   
  
If I had the money to purchase Sailor Moon, then I would be able to hire someone to come up with clever disclaimers. Then again, if I owned Sailor Moon, then I wouldn't have to have any disclaimers. Isn't that ironic?  
  
Also, I do not claim to know anything about martial arts of any kind. So, if I mention something that is terribly wrong, humor me! *~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*  
  
When I was a little girl, I discovered that I had a wonderful gift. My cousin, Rei, and I were in class when we found out that we had the ability to read others' thoughts. Grandfather confirmed that this, explaining that the ability to communicate telepathically was inherited from our mothers, whom received it from him.   
  
At first, learning that I could talk with someone by simply thinking was, well, unbelievable. My dreams had more reality. But in the end, it made some sense. My mother always seemed to know when I was stealing cookies and would catch me just as my hand entered the jar. She knew when I was hurt, even if I was blocks away. She knew when to come and hug my nightmares away without me crying out to her.   
  
I still miss her and my father terribly. I often dream of my parents and grandparents playing with my baby sister. They smile and wave at me and tell me to be happy. Those mornings are the hardest to wake on. But every morning I awake, wipe the tears from my eyes, and live my life the way I know they would want me to.  
  
There has been one major downfall to this whole telepathy thing, getting people to stop thinking. Grandfather explained that we would probably have some difficulty adjusting to this power. I found it down right difficult! For a long time, I couldn't help but over hear everything that everyone thought! I'd come home from school, grateful to do my chores in the quiet of the shrine. Rei seemed to agree with me, as we would often race for the bottle of aspirin as soon as we got home.  
  
After several weeks, Rei and I seemed to gain control over our eccentric powers of communication. We were able to pick and choose who and when we listened or could choose not to listen at all, for which we were both grateful. After all, having a best friend for a cousin whom is practically your sister living in the same house is nice, but a little privacy is required every once and a while.  
  
So, now that our lives were seemingly back to normal and the headaches basically gone, all except the pain of homework and school, we were back to being regular kids, right?   
  
*~*  
  
"USAGI!"  
  
"REI!!"  
  
"USAGI!!!"  
  
"REI!!!!"  
  
"Girls! Stop it this instant! This is a temple for Pete's sake!" Grandfather yelled at us from down the hall. We were in Rei's room, next to the room that held the sacred fire. Not many people went in to visit the sacred fire while at the shrine, most simply stopped to buy charms or say a small prayer. However, in respect for the shrine, Grandfather, and any visitors, we usually would keep our voices down.  
  
"But Rei, you already read it twice! I haven't even seen it!" I whined. Sure, I went to an all girls' school where they taught us to have poise, keep a low voice, and to be ladies. But a whine done affectively can yield great results.  
  
"No Usagi. I bought it with the extra money I earned helping with extra chores. You could have bought it instead of spending your money on video games."  
  
"Rei!" I whined.  
  
"Usagi!" She scolded.  
  
"REI!"  
  
"USAGI!!"  
  
"That's it!" My grandfather yelled as he burst through the bedroom door with a very bright shade of red crossing his entire face. "Out!" He yelled, pointing to the entranceway of the shrine. He began to walk, which meant that we were to follow silently.  
  
"Yes Grandfather." We both sighed. It was not often that grandfather got upset, but when he did, I usually had blisters on my hand from pushing the broom down the old temple steps that no one traveled. I could hear my grandfather muttering as he walked in front of us about "kids these days. In my day..." blah, blah, blah. I choose to stay away from his thoughts, as he could always tell when we were probing his mind, and walked next to Rei with my head down, same as her.  
  
I was slightly confused when Grandfather walked down the steps of the temple to the main road and turned to walk on the sidewalk instead of heading to the old stairway. He had not dismissed us yet, so we both knew that we should continue after him.  
  
'Rei, where do you think he's taking us?' I asked quietly, afraid that Grandfather would hear my silent question and yell more.  
  
'I don't know Usagi. He seems real mad.'  
  
'I know. I'm sorry, it's all my fault. I'll tell him to assign more punishment to me than you.'  
  
'No, Usagi, that wouldn't be fair. I was being loud too. I could have shared.'  
  
We were silent for a while as we continued to walk. It seemed as if we were going for miles when Rei slightly turned her head towards me.  
  
'Usa, were friends still right?'  
  
I turned slightly to see Rei's face. She was smiling at me. This was how we always made up after having a fight.   
  
'No,' I smiled at her, 'we're sisters.'  
  
After giggling for a brief moment, Grandfather turned around to face us.  
  
"Good! Now that that's all settled, here we are." He said with a grin on his face.  
  
Rei and I both looked up to see that Grandfather had led us to...the martial arts center across the street??? Needless to say, our equally confused faces turned to the old man we lovingly called Grandfather. He in turn, was laughing at our faces.  
  
"I was simply waiting for you two to make up. And this," he said pointing to the building, "is your reward. I am signing you two and Shingo up to take lessons, to learn how to protect yourself."  
  
"But Grandfather?" I started, still a little foggy on some things, "why?"  
  
"I told you before, you must be careful with the gifts you posses. I want you to be able to protect yourself and each other if someone were to try to hurt you or take you from me." He said with a note of sadness in his voice.  
  
"Hai Grandfather, I understand. But I still don't understand one thing."  
  
"What is that Usagi?"  
  
I looked to Rei and she nodded her head. I knew without reading her mind that she was just as curious as I was.   
  
"Why did you make us walk so far? I mean, it's just across the street." I said as I pointed back to the shrine, the steps just across the street.  
  
"Uh, gomen, gomen, I wanted to make sure that you two got your differences settled first."  
  
"Grandfather!" Rei and I yelled simultaneously as Grandfather ran across the street to the shrine. We quickly ran after, but never caught up to him. For a little old man, he was fast.  
  
*~*  
  
After Rei, Shingo, and I began to take our lessons at the martial arts center, time seemed to go very quickly. Everyday, Rei and I would hurry home from school and do our chores. Then we would grab Shingo and run across the street to take our lessons. Afterwards, we would run back home to eat dinner. This was followed by homework. Finally, exhausted from the day, we would go to bed. Our weekends were rarely free, since Grandfather needed us to assist with shrine matters.  
  
As tiring as it may have seemed, I was extremely happy. My grades were improving, which pleased Grandfather greatly, and I was able to stay out of trouble, most of the time. Shingo was growing bigger and brattier. It was impossible not to love him, and yet, it was impossible not to hate him. He was truly becoming a typical boy.   
  
Several years past since Rei and I discovered our telepathic abilities. Our control of the skill had greatly improved as well as sharpened. We were able to sense each other and speak from miles away with clarity that no phone could duplicate. Grandfather was proud that our telepathic ability developed so well, but still worried greatly.   
  
Grandfather's fears were easily understandable. I often feared that Rei and I would be caught reading another's thoughts or perhaps find someone else with the ability that would reveal us. Neither ever happened.  
  
Unfortunately, as time always has a way of speeding up, it always finds a point to slow down, to the point of a near stop.   
  
We entered our seventh grade school year with as much popularity as always, none. It wasn't that we were not pretty, quite the contrary. However, in an all girls' school, beauty matters very little. Power, money, and greed seemed to hold the reigns, of which we had none.   
  
But we were still quite happy. We continued our lessons at the martial arts center, very successfully I might add, winning several competitions. Life at the shrine, though sometimes strict and rigid, was home. We were happy and it seemed as if things would remain happy for once.  
  
*~*  
  
"Oh Rei! He was the cutest! That pretty blond hair and those cute blue eyes!"   
  
"Usagi, there are ears nearby." Rei informed me. This was her secret code to let me know that she could sense Shingo. Lately, she had been developing the ability to sense people, mostly with evil intentions, if they were near. Although she could so far only sense Shingo and some poor kid who tried to steal a charm, she was right (though I say Shingo isn't evil, I would never tell him that!).   
  
"Ohh," I sighed loudly, "Guess we should get started on our homework." I said with a smile. After all, Shingo was only seven and his attention wouldn't keep long. However, I was too excited to wait for him to leave.  
  
'Thanks Rei. Last thing I want is for Shingo to go telling Grandfather that I think a boy is cute.'  
  
'No kidding! He would have you eating bread and water for a week! So, go on describe.' Rei smiled at me. No matter how she tried to play it off, she always loved to hear gossip.   
  
'Like I said, he had this sandy brown hair, just long enough to graze his eyebrows and pretty blue eyes. He works at the arcade. I was walking by after school, while you were at choir rehearsal, and there he was. He was setting up a sign about a new video game when I--' my thoughts were cut off as I turned to the sound of the door sliding open.  
  
Shingo was standing there, a grin spread across his smug face. He sauntered (if it is possible for a seven year old to do so) over to the bed and sat between Rei and I.  
  
"Usa, can I have a dollar?" He asked. However, I was not fooled. I was certain that there was something up his sleeve.   
  
"Ne, Shingo, you know I spent all of my money yesterday at the store." I replied with my most honest and sorry I can't help you face. 'Except that bit I saved for us for the arcade tomorrow Rei.' I thought to her, knowing that she was expecting me to pay tomorrow.  
  
"Aw, gee, Usa. That's too bad." He said as he sat up from the bed and began to walk to the door. He turned around at the door and smiled. "Guess I'll just have to tell Grandfather about the boy at the arcade." He smiled before running away.  
  
Fear filled my face as I turned to Rei, whose pale skin mirrored my own.  
  
'He didn't!'  
  
'He did!!'  
  
"Grandfather!! We screeched in unison as we took off running after the little snot nosed brat that I lovingly called brother.  
  
*~*   
  
Any difficulties that Rei and I had with Shingo became tenfold when he inherited his telepathic abilities. Besides the fact that he was only seven years old, a complete pain in the side, he seemed to be able to control his power better and much faster than either Rei or I had. It took him only weeks to project and receive thoughts at a distance, a task that took me over half a year.   
  
Grandfather said that it was because he was a boy; I said it was because he was nosey. Nightly at dinner we would have arguments about privacy and respect for others. Although Grandfather agreed, he seemed mostly concerned about Shingo revealing his ability by exposing thoughts he had overheard. He promised that he would be careful and mind what he discussed with others. He, however, made no promises to Rei or I, but instead gave me a look I knew to well. That's right, all of you who have little brothers know the look I mean. Yes, the "I-will-do-everything-I-can-to-annoy-you-and-drive-you-up-a-wall-to-the-point-where-you-can't-stand-it" look.   
  
*~*  
  
Rei was laying across my bed, reading a new manga while I was sitting at my desk working on math homework. Or so it would seem to most people. In all actuality, Rei had a manga in her hand and I, a math book, but neither of us were actually involved in the books in front of us. We were talking about a boy that Rei and I had seen leaving the martial arts center when we were arriving. Well, honestly, we weren't talking out loud, but thinking. That way, Grandfather would have less chance of knowing what we were discussing. Especially after all of the lectures he gave on privacy.  
  
'He's not your type Rei. You seem like you should be with short blond hair and pretty light blue eyes. Black hair and dark blue eyes doesn't suit you.'  
  
'Oh, your just saying that because you seem to think he's cute and don't want to let me have a chance. What about Andrew at the arcade? He's got short blond hair.' Rei thought with an evil grin. I almost thought that I heard her cackle.   
  
'No way! Andrew's mine. Besides, you said that you weren't interested in him.'   
  
'I'm not. I'm just tired of hearing how every other boys is yours to admire. I mean...wait, ears!'  
  
Rei and I immediately stopped our conversation. Shingo was nearby. Although it took Rei to alert me, I could feel him nearby as well. I started to work math problems out in my head while Rei was reading to herself. Shingo did this more often now, annoyingly trying to get something on us that he could hold against us. He promised Grandfather to be careful, but not to leave us alone.  
  
'Usagi, it seems like it's clear. Anyhow, what was I saying?' Rei had a queer look of confusion on her face. Shingo's appearance outside the door seemed to have made her misplace her thoughts.  
  
'You were telling me how much you like Andrew.' I responded with a big smile.  
  
'Oh. What! I did not. You're the one with all the boy issues. Can't you just pick one already.'  
  
'Well, I would if it were that simple. I mean, come on. There are so many qualities that I want to find. He needs to be perfect.' I sighed out loud. 'I truly believe that I will find the perfect guy.'  
  
"He's right here!" Shingo yelled as he opened the paper screen door to my room.  
  
"Shingo!" Rei and I yelled in unison. We both stood from out positions in the room, staring at each other and staring at him.  
  
"How did you block yourself?" Rei demanded while I simply gave him a nasty look.  
  
"It's not hard when dealing with two airheads like you!" He said and then blew a raspberry.   
  
Rei was about to run after him when I boiled over. My hands that had been previously placed at my side in tight fists rose up in front of me. My left hand sliced across the air, as if slapping someone. It basically had the same affect. Shingo was knocked off his feet into the hall. My other hand repeated the motion, closing the door.  
  
I, still quite upset, stared at the door in front of me with red fire in my eyes. Rei, well, she stood gawking at me.   
  
"Usagi?" She said quietly.   
  
"What?" I said spinning around to look at her. My eyes met hers and the trance broke. I looked down to my hands and did the only thing I could, pass out.  
  
*~*  
  
I awoke later to find Grandfather looking down at me smiling his all knowing smile. He, of course, told me that it was another gift. Most likely, he told me, I would only be able to control this ability. My mother had, but Rei's had not. "It is also only prominent in girls, an advantage that you hold over Shingo." His smile was merry and he seemed to know that Shingo wouldn't try his stunts again for some time.  
  
I feel asleep that night, thinking of my new ability and how wonderful it would be to use. However, as always, the next day came, bringing different obstacles than those anticipated.  
  
*~*  
  
"Rei, you are making this to easy!" I said as I ducked a right kick from Rei. We were sparring in the flower garden behind the shrine. It was a beautiful spring day and we didn't feel like being cooped up in the shrine.  
  
"You are projecting your moves!" I yelled at her as I again read what she was planning on doing before she did. "Look, stop! You're going to give a right jab. What's wrong with you today?"  
  
"Gomen, Usagi. I just don't feel like sparring today. Let's go inside." Rei pleaded in a very un-Rei-like way. I followed her as she stepped into the shrine. After removing our shoes, I watched Rei head to her room, however she passed it by. I continued after her, wondering what was wrong.   
  
A few feet from her room, Rei opened the door to the room that held the sacred fire. I followed her, not sure what to do. She sat on the small mat in front of the fire and began to recite the hand motions and words of the ancient prayers. Although I had learned them, I never had the ability Rei had to 'sense' things from the fire. I choose to sit behind her, waiting patiently.  
  
Before me, in the flames, an image arose. I had never seen a projection before and was stunned. Rei wanted to me to see this and put much effort into her thoughts.  
  
"It's my mother Usagi. I don't think you ever met her. Wasn't she beautiful?" She said with a sad smile as she turned to me. "Today is her birthday."  
  
I felt a tear roll out of my eye as I reached forward to pull my dear cousin, my sister, into a hug. I hadn't paid attention to the calendar that hung on the kitchen wall. Rei had marked it lovingly with hearts, as Shingo and I had done for our parents' birthdays. I could feel Rei shudder in my arms as she cried her eyes out.   
  
Behind me, I registered the sound of the paper door open and close. It didn't take long to realize who had entered. I felt a pair of arms, smaller than my own, attempt to enclose around Rei and I. Looking up, my eyes met with Shingo's and a message of understanding passed between us. He leaned his head onto my shoulder and the three of us stayed together, hugging and crying, for well over an hour.   
  
Later in the evening, Grandfather came to find us all sitting in front of the sacred fire holding hands. Several images stood out in the great flames, which reach high up to the ceiling. Grandfather came and kneeled behind us, placing his hands upon Rei's shoulder.   
  
"They look so happy, smiling down on all of you from heaven. Looking between you and them, it is like looking in a mirror. I am glad that you hold them so well in your heart." He said quietly.  
  
"Grandfather, will the pain ever end?" I asked, unsure that I would ever really want it to.  
  
"My dear, all of you, the pain will always be there. I share that burden with you, but you must remember happiness. Although your memories are young, especially you, my son, you are lucky. Your family will always be by your side."  
  
"Thank you Grandfather." Rei said as she turned and leaped upon my grandfather with a fierce hug. The image in the fire began to waver. I quickly looked to the image of my mother one more time, willing her to stay. Around, her, my family faded, yet my mother stayed. My eyes locked with hers, both reflecting a calm ocean. I closed my eyes, burning the image in my brain, and when I opened them again, she was gone.  
  
"Come, my children, let us go eat dinner."  
  
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*  
  
Don't worry, soon we will have less sadness and more happiness and action. Coming soon, more characters! Yeah!  
  
ChibiJ77@yahoo.com 


	4. Chapter Three

When I Was A Little Girl  
  
Chapter 3  
  
By: Chibi J  
  
Rated: G   
  
Me no own. Therefore, me no have no money. So, no sue. My meager teacher's salary is hardly worth the effort.  
  
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*  
  
The day after Rei's mother's birthday, things began to return to normal around the shrine. Well, mostly normal. Okay, so it was still outright bizarre around the shrine.  
  
I awoke that morning, just the same as every morning. I got up, dressed, did my chores, did Rei's chores (she slept in and I couldn't blame her), watched the sunrise from the back hill of the shrine, got prepared to go to school, and went to the kitchen to eat breakfast. There, the normal-ness stopped.  
  
*~*  
  
"Ohayo!" I greeted my family as I made my way to the fridge. I opened the door and removed the orange juice. Turning around, I found three pairs of eyes starring at me. I turned away from their looks and proceeded to the cupboard for a cup. Turning around again, they were all still starring at me. Leaving only one question.  
  
"What?!"   
  
"Gomen, Usagi, we were just wondering how you were feeling today." Grandfather asked, still not removing his eyes from me. It was starting to get annoying. Rei and Shingo had huge grins, matching Grandfather.  
  
"Fine, why? Is there something wrong?" Why won't they stop starring at me? New approach.  
  
"Okay! Give already. If you don't stop starring at me and tell me what is going on I am going to blow!" I said with as much anger as I could muster. It worked too. Rei and Shingo both ducked under the table. Now, I've never really been violent, in fact, I would never hurt a fly, well maybe if it bit me, but that's the beside the point. So why were two of the people closest to me in the whole world ducked under a table?  
  
"Usagi," Grandfather began with a chuckle, "you remember what happened yesterday, correct?"  
  
"Hai." I said, sending my eyes down to the ground. Rei's sadness was still very fresh in my heart.  
  
"Usagi," Grandfather started again, "do you remember what happened the day before yesterday?"  
  
I looked at him confused. "Ne, Grandfather, I didn't steal the cookies from the jar, if that's what you mean." Now, my grandfather is a gentle man that can turn red real fast when upset. But I've never seen him turn purple from laughing before. I could also hear laughing from under the table.  
  
"Well, whatever I did, is it really all that funny?" I wondered out loud. I mean, geez, get over it and tell me already!  
  
"Baka-Usagi," Rei said as she crawled out from under the table. "It's no wonder you have a hard time passing in-class tests. You can't remember anything!"  
  
That had done it. I didn't feel like sitting this morning and listening to my family make fun of me. Tired of all the games, I turned and stomped out of the room. Heading down the hall to the door outside, the sound of footfalls behind me was evident. Not one to really run away from a situation, I spun around, my arms flapping through the air.  
  
Which caused the vase to fall off the table.   
  
Which was over five feet away from me.  
  
Which caused me to fall to the ground on my knees.  
  
Which made my memories return.  
  
A smile spread on my stalkers' faces when they knew that I knew. I lifted my head to look at them with a sheepish smile on my face.  
  
"Oh yeah, that."  
  
*~*  
  
If anyone ever said that weird-ness is a virtue, well, I sincerely doubt that anyone ever said that. In all reality, being different from those around you on a daily basis can be quite a pain.   
  
My new telekinetic power, much like my telepathic power, caused headaches for weeks. I constantly had to be cautious how I moved my arms and what I was thinking about. Sometimes, the slightest movement sent objects hurdling to the ground. I could even move small items with just a thought.   
  
School was terrible. Rei was constantly screaming in my head. One day, I broke the teacher's chalk when she pointed it at a kid accusingly. Another day, I was twirling my pencil on the desk, without my hand. Once, I made a kids lunch tray fall out of her hands when I spun around to Rei calling my name. Little odd things kept happening in the school, such as books falling off desks, chairs tipping over, and a girl whom had just made fun of Rei tripped and broke her nose (really, that was a shame).   
  
Home was easier, of course. Grandfather could help very little, having no personal experiences with the power I possessed. However, he offered me the same advice that he had offered my mother, practice makes perfect. A lot of help, I know. As helpful as a cavity when eating ice cream. Unfortunately, it was the only advice I could get, so I followed it.  
  
Of course, it was the best advice. Rei and I spent many days just watching objects spin around the ceiling in one of our bedrooms. Shingo especially loved when I would make his planes fly through the field in the park. Little objects were the easiest to handle and larger objects were downright exhaustive.   
  
At the same time that I was perfecting my new power, Rei's were also growing. She was not only able to sense an evil presence or aura, but also predict the future. So far it was limited to about one or two minutes. Mostly good for knowing when someone was going to come around the corner, allowing me to stop any objects from flying through the air. It also had some flaws, such as inaccuracy of a person. She described it as a blurry photograph with smudging around the features.  
  
Shingo, luckily, still only had a telepathic ability. For that, I was grateful. The struggles that Rei and I were having trying to keep up with daily life were unreal. It seemed as if we never got a break. Luckily, Grandfather realized this and began to let us have free weekends.   
  
*~*  
  
"This is the life."   
  
"Totally."  
  
"Let's do this tomorrow Rei."  
  
"Okay."  
  
A small beeping noise sounded from a small clock next to me. I reached over and hit it.  
  
"Flip."  
  
Ah, the joys of sunbathing. Too exhausted from the past week, Rei and I decided to forget the mall, the arcade, and boy hunting to just veg-out on the hill behind the shrine. It was a gorgeous day with no clouds. Shingo was helping Grandfather, so no annoying little brother to harass us. It was perfect.  
  
'Usagi. Something is watching us.' Rei said to me in a thought. She didn't even look up to meet my eyes, but continued to stare forward.  
  
"Rei, I'm going to get some more sunscreen." I said. I got up and stretched, quickly looking around me as I spun from my hips. Walking over to where our cooler of drinks and bag of goodies were, I looked into the sky and trees, trying to appear as if judging the sky around me.  
  
'I don't see anything Rei.' I commented as I sat down nest to her, applying the not-so-really-needed sunscreen to my arms.  
  
'I know I felt it Usagi. Just keep your eyes open.'  
  
Suddenly, I heard a noise in the distance. It was faint, like the rustling of leaves. I looked around again, this time much more obviously. I registered two birds flying from a nearby tree. They circled us briefly and then landed in front of Rei and I.   
  
'Pardon our intrusion, but are you Mars?' One of the black crows asked in a very feminine voice.  
  
"Excuse me?" Rei asked slightly stunned. In our many times trying to telepath with animals, we found that it just wasn't possible. Their thoughts seemed to have been on a different level. But here were these two black crows, thinking as if they were human.  
  
'Gomen, but my name is Deimos and this is my twin sister Phobos. We are on a search for...well, let's just say a friend. We thought that you were her.'  
  
"My name is Rei and this is my cousin Usagi. I'm sorry, but I know of no one whom goes by the name Mars."  
  
'Well, excuse any interruption that we have made in your day. We will be off now.' Phobos stated plainly, turning to her sister with a nod.  
  
"Wait!" Rei yelled, effectively stopping the birds before rising to the treetops. "Please, you appear to have had a long journey. Stay here for a while and rest before resuming your journey."  
  
The two birds landed back on the ground and looked between Rei and I. Phobos nodded to Deimos, whom responded, 'Thank you. Your kindness is greatly appreciated.' That said the two birds took flight to a nearby Sakura tree and sat on a low branch.  
  
Rei and I watched the birds perch on the branch before turning to look at each other with the same expression. Total confusion.  
  
'What was that?'  
  
'I have no idea.'  
  
Unfortunately, that was the most we were able to come up with at the time. Trying to leave the mind-stumping episode behind us, we resumed sunbathing. Rei fell asleep almost immediately, leaving me to watch the grass sway in the yard. In the back of my mind I thought I heard someone whisper, "it is them" before I fell into sleep.  
  
*~*  
  
Rei and I returned to school on Monday pleasantly rested and nicely tanned. School was mundane and the rest of the day followed our typical routine. Upon arrival to our home, Rei and I noticed that our new feathered friends had indeed stayed the night and were still perched in the tree. However, they did not approach us or attempt to converse with us as they had two days ago.  
  
The rest of the evening, Rei and I followed our usual schedule, making small stops occasionally to check upon the two black crows on our Sakura tree. I was beginning to wonder if the birds were actually stuffed. They had not yet appeared to move since they perched on Saturday after our conversation. Perhaps Shingo had learned to implant false memories and this was some huge practical joke. Although that would be a very Shingo-like thing to do, I don't think that he would have the power to affect both Rei and I at the same time for so long.  
  
I drifted to sleep wondering if I truly was going crazy. After all, people under much less stress end up in asylums all the time. My sleep did not bring me comfort and soon became haunted by the illusions that have haunted most of my childhood.  
  
"Momma, I miss you."  
  
*BANG*  
  
"I know dear. But do not fear. I will be in your dreams as you will always be in mine."  
  
*BANG*  
  
"Yes Momma. I love you."  
  
*BANG*  
  
"I love you too, my darling Usako."  
  
*BANG*  
  
"Momma! Papa! Please, don't go!"  
  
*BANG*  
  
"NO!! Shingo!"  
  
*BANG*  
  
"REI!!!"  
  
*BANG*  
  
"GRANDFATHER!"  
  
***Silence****  
  
"They are gone, all of them." 'It's dark. It's so cold. I can't handle this alone.'  
  
*BA-  
  
"Usagi!! Wake up! You must wake up!"  
  
I opened my eyes and felt a flood of tears escape. Wiping the blur from my eyes I focused of the very serious look that I was receiving from my dear cousin.  
  
"Rei?" Not able to retain myself, I jumped up from the bed and grabbed Rei into my arms. "You didn't leave me." I said while the tears fell freely from my eyes. Rei held me tight and began to rock me in her arms.  
  
"Usagi, I promised you that I would never leave. Please, you need to calm down."   
  
"Rei, you left, everyone left. I was all alone. It was so dark."  
  
"I'm right hear and I'm not going anywhere. Please, Usagi, you must quiet yourself. Shingo can feel you, you must be strong for him."  
  
"Shingo. I promised Grandmother that I would always care for him." I sat up and wiped the remainder of my tears from my eyes. 'Shingo. I am okay. Please, go back to sleep. All will be fine. You must sleep now.' I smiled at Rei as we both sensed the young boy fall back to slumber.  
  
"Thank you Rei. I don't think that I could survive without your strength."  
  
"Usagi, you have your own strength. I know that you will be able to draw upon it when the time becomes necessary."  
  
I nodded at Rei. Her wisdom can sometimes astound a genius. We sat in silence for a moment before I noticed a twinkle in Rei's eye. A smile filled her face from ear to ear, although I am sure that my face mirrored her own.  
  
"Shall we?"  
  
"We shall!"  
  
A long time tradition started when I first began having the nightmares. Rei seemed the most prone to feel my discomfort and would rush to calm me. After a reassurance of everyone's safety we would play our favorite game.  
  
"Okay, it's your turn. Familiar or unfamiliar?"  
  
I thought for a long moment. "Unfamiliar."  
  
"Okay. Close your eyes." Rei instructed. I heard a light clicking noise, which singled my time to speak.  
  
"8...5...6...7...1...4...9...6...4...5...5...2...7...8"  
  
Rei and I huddled above the phone's earpiece while Rei's hand covered the mouthpiece. Yes, we were prank-calling people. We used to call the nuns from school, but caught wind that they had gotten caller ID. Afterwards, we took to odd people from the neighborhood. We then realized that it would be interesting to pick random numbers. Grandfather could only think of the bill as a suitable punishment to make us stop. It didn't work, we paid.   
  
Although it only took seven numbers to dial locally, it took eleven to call long distance and fourteen to call out of country. That was the most fun. To hear people say weird things into the phone questioning the empty air that answered. The best was a man that sat and refused to hang up until his wife talk to him again. That turned out to be grocer down the street, Rei thought she made up the number, but instead, just remember it.  
  
"Hello."  
  
Rei and I snickered at the voice. It was obviously English and seemed to have an accent.   
  
"Hello."  
  
Second times the charm.   
  
"Um, is anyone there?"  
  
Duh!  
  
"Oh! Duh! Um, Moshi moshi?"  
  
"Hai, moshi moshi!" Opps.   
  
"Usagi! What are you doing?" Rei screamed at me as she quickly hung up the phone.  
  
"Gomen Rei, she started talking in our language so quickly after using Eigo that I just reacted."  
  
"Oh, well. It should be okay--"  
  
*Ring*  
  
"Or not."  
  
*Ring*  
  
"Usagi, you get it. It was all your fault anyhow."  
  
*Ri-  
  
"Moshi, Moshi?"  
  
"Gomen for disturbing you, but I just received a phone call from this number. Was that you?" A young feminine voice asked in perfect Japanese.  
  
"Um, hai. But it was, um... a mistake?" I asked more than stated.  
  
"Oh, um, are you sure? You don't sound very sure."  
  
"Well...please forgive me. My cousin and I were playing a prank joke and accidentally called you."  
  
"Is that all? You didn't get my number from one of the kids at school?" The voice asked in a very suspicious tone.   
  
"Why would one of the kids have your number? Your from England, right?" I asked while giving Rei a look of utter confusion. She seemed equally confused, having heard both sides of the conversation through my mind.  
  
"Aren't you? I just pressed the connect button on the ID monitor, I didn't look at the name or number."  
  
"No, I'm, we're from Japan. Tokyo actually."  
  
"Really!" The girl shouted into the phone. "It's been so long since I've gotten to speak to someone from Tokyo. That's where I'm from. Well, at least, that's where I'm from when my parents don't decide to move to England for three years."  
  
"Ohh." I responded. I really didn't know what else to say to someone who talked so fast.  
  
'She talks just like you do.' Rei said in answer to my thoughts.  
  
"Shut up, Rei!" I yelled both at Rei and the phone.  
  
"Who are you yelling at?" The voice on the phone asked.  
  
"My cousin Rei. She's being a loud mouth."  
  
"Oh. Well, what's your name?"  
  
"Usagi. What's yours?"  
  
"Minako. Nice to meet you."  
  
*~*  
  
Minako, Rei, and I talked for many hours that night. Well, at least it was night for us. I guess it was just the early evening for Minako. It turned out that she was actually from Juuban, same as Rei and I. Her parents went to England to work for some company for a three-year term and made her go with them. She hated school and the kids made fun of her constantly.   
  
We all talked as often as we could. Grandfather was thrilled that Rei and I finally made another friend, although he seemed to wish that she were closer by. Minako's phone bill was expensive and required us to cut out all other prank calling.   
  
Weeks passed from the day when the birds came and refused to move. They became friends of the shrine and never left. Never again did they communicate with Rei or I, no matter what we tried. However, we accepted Phobos and Deimos into our family and took care to provide them with a small shelter in their preferred tree and food.   
  
Our lives again became as normal as possible, which should have been the first warning sign that something would occur. Of course, when it seems as nothing could go wrong, it always does.  
  
*~*  
  
Rei and I were approaching the steps to the shrine after school when we noticed some dark storm clouds moving into the city. We raced up the steps, anxious to get our chores done before the rain came, and ran over to the side shed. Armed with weapon of choice, Rei's broom and my rake, we attacked the offending leaves.   
  
We were about finished when a low rumbling echoed in the sky. The same time as the thunder sounded, the temple's paper screen opened, revealing Grandfather and a man in a business suit. Grandfather had a very solemn expression on his face as he shook the man's hand.  
  
I watched as the man passed before me and headed down the stairs. I turned back to find Grandfather's face blank.  
  
"Rei, please take Usagi's rake and put it away. The storm will be here soon. Usagi, I must speak to you privately."  
  
I nodded to Grandfather as I handed Rei the rake. I made my way slowly up the steps. Grandfather was shielding his thoughts from me and that made me nervous. I stopped in front of him at the top of the stairs to the porch that wrapped around the shrine. The face my Grandfather wore froze me in place and I felt I could move no farther.  
  
"My dear Usagi. I have some news that may be difficult for you to handle." I nodded my head in understanding. "That man was from the bank. He says that the account holding the inheritance from your parents' death has been frozen. Someone has insisted that an investigation into the funds you and Shingo received from your parents' death must occur before the funds are released."  
  
"Grandfather," I cleared my throat of the large stone that seemed to have suddenly become stuck in it and tried again to speak. "Grandfather, why must they investigate into our funds?"  
  
"Someone thinks that money was acquired by your parents illegally, which I assure you that I do not believe."  
  
"Well, what happens now?" I asked, not truly sure that I wanted to hear the answer.  
  
"Usagi, you and Shingo must attend the local public school. I cannot afford to send you to school without the money from your inheritance. I am sorry, but you must change school in a weeks time."  
  
The thunder rumbled again in the sky, much closer than it had been before.  
  
"I understand."   
  
"Usagi--"  
  
"Grandfather, I'm okay, honest." I said with my most assuring voice, although I felt like falling to ground in tears. I am sure that my emotions were easily flooding my Grandfather's mind, but he accepted my statement and left me.  
  
I sat down on the porch steps and stared out into the darkened sky. The air had cooled and the wind was picking up from the approaching storm. Slowly, large drops of water began to fall from the clouds looming above me. The rain increased around me and soaked away the tears that had spilt from my eyes.   
  
I remained in the pouring rain for quite a while trying to figure out who would try to dishonor my parents death five years later. Unable to come to any conclusion, I decided that it would be best just to deal with the situation in the best possible way. After all, I could still talk to Rei all the time even if we were in two different buildings.   
  
With this happy thought lodged into my brain, I stood and turned away from the storm howling about me. I wrung out my hair and proceeded into the temple towards my bedroom. I opened the screen to find a concerned Rei and a sleeping Shingo cuddled on her lap.  
  
"He was worried about you. We thought we would wait for you to return." Rei said quietly.  
  
"It will be okay Rei. I will be okay." I said with a small smile. I leaned over Shingo's head and gave him a small kiss on the cheek. "Help me get him to bed?"   
  
*~*  
  
"I look awful!"  
  
"You look fine!"  
  
"If I look so fine, you wear it!"  
  
"No way! I prefer gray and red."  
  
"So do I!"  
  
"Look Usagi, it will just be for a little while. These people will finish and find that there is nothing to find. You'll get your funds back and you will be back at TA with me in no time."  
  
"I hope your right Rei." I said as I straightened out my blue skirt one more time. It seemed so long compared to my TA gray skirt that was now hanging in my closet.   
  
I sighed one last time before saying goodbye and heading towards my new school. Unfortunately, it was a further distance to Juuban Junior High and I would not arrive as early as I used to at TA.   
  
'No early cramming today.' I thought with a sigh.  
  
'Who are you kidding, your cramming is worse than doing nothing at all.'  
  
'Shut up Rei. Don't you need to concentrate on getting to school?'  
  
'Nope, already there. Enjoy your walk.' Rei responded with a snicker.  
  
Ugh. Sometimes I love to hate my cousin. She can really be as big of a pain as Shingo when she wants to be.  
  
I was pulled from my internal ranting about my cousin (which I hope she heard) when I heard a weird screeching sound from a nearby ally. I turned from my path to find four boys who were teasing a cat and trying to tie cans to its tail. The poor animal looked scared to death, so I stepped in.  
  
"Hey! Leave that poor cat alone."  
  
"Oh yeah? What you gonna do about it?"  
  
Okay. When all else fails (even though I didn't try anything else first) and you have a special ability to read minds, look for what they are scared of most and use it.  
  
"I'll tell your mom, whose name is Kiko, that you were the one who hit the hutch last night and broke her favorite fine china."  
  
"How did you...never mind. Let's go guys." The boys said, trying to sound tough and in charge. I hope that none of those boys are in Shingo's new class.  
  
Walking over to the poor cat in the corner, I felt, odd. That's the only way to describe it. I reached down to the cat and picked her up. She struggled a little.  
  
"Don't worry sweetheart, I won't hurt you."   
  
The cat looked up to my eyes in understanding. There was a strange mark on her forehead. It looked like a small white smile. The rest of her fur was pitch black.  
  
The animal seemed to be starring at me when I suddenly heard a bell ringing in the distance.   
  
"Oh, I'm going to be late!" I yelled as I set the cat down on the ground.  
  
"Ja ne, little neko!" I yelled over my shoulder to the cat that was still starring at me from her position on the ground of the ally. Weird.  
  
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*  
  
Okay, some quick notes.   
  
1. I do not know how to make out of country calls. I made that stuff up, though I know there is something to do with a country code and other stuff you have to dial. Also, if this is your number, which I doubt, sorry about using it! My psychic senses just choose that number randomly as I typed.  
  
2. I do not know time zones. I'm not sure if England is before Japan or vice versa. I also don't know how many hours separate the two. Just humor me or correct me. ChibiJ77@yahoo.com 


	5. Chapter Four

When I Was A Little Girl  
  
Chapter 4  
  
By: Chibi J  
  
Rated: G  
  
Disclaimer: Insert a fun and witty disclaimer here. I have a cold and do not feel up to being terribly clever at the moment. Just make sure that your disclaimer of choice features the fact that I do not own and never will own and make no claim to own Sailor Moon.  
  
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*  
  
After setting the black cat down in the alley and bidding her farewell, I ran as quickly as possible to my new school. I arrived about one minute after the first bell to the stern looks of several older members of the school staff. Luckily, being my first day, I was able to convince them that my tardiness was due to a poor judgment call on the amount of time it would take me to get to school. They accepted that, but insisted that I be on time in the future.  
  
The youngest of the secretaries in the office, who was very pleasant, helped me gather my books, find a locker, and directed me to my new class. Butterflies were fluttering in my stomach as the secretary pushed open the door and waved out the teacher. The secretary introduced me to Haruna-sensei, who would become my teacher for the rest of the school year.  
  
Haruna scooted me into the classroom with a brief word of thanks to the secretary. I stood at the front of the class while the teacher introduced me to the other students. As expected, I heard snickering and small chuckles rising from the other children. This, most likely, was due to my hairstyle. I have always felt the pain of being the punch line to many jokes when it comes to my hair. I wear it in two long pigtails with a small bun at the top of each tail. My mother gave me the style when I was little and I have been very adamant about keeping it. Besides, I have seen other people with styles crazier than mine.   
  
After the class quieted, Haruna showed me to a seat in the back corner of the room. She apologized for the location, as it was the only one available. There was a girl with medium length red hair in front of me and a girl with short blue hair beside me. I tried to pay attention to the teacher, but easily became distracted. After several attempts at contacting Rei, I gave up. She was blocking me, most likely due to taking a test. She always blocked me during tests so that I couldn't cheat.  
  
Why any teacher feels that lecturing endlessly is the best way to convey information is beyond my understanding. So, much like my previous school, I found doodling the only way to keep my mind from falling into a comatose state. After all, drool is terribly unattractive and most teachers are now equipped with sleeping student radar.   
  
Now, I may not have Rei's ability to sense people or tell the future, but I can tell when I am being watched. That weird feeling kind of creeps up your spine and you just know that someone is staring at you. Sitting in class, drawing a bunny, I got that feeling. All of my subtle approaches at looking around the room where failing to determine who was so intent in memorizing my features and I was about to stand up and scream when the lunch bell rang.  
  
*~*  
  
'Rei, I don't know who it was, but it was driving me insane!' I hollered at my cousin who finally released the block on her mind.  
  
'Usagi, chill. It was probably just your nerves. So, what are the boys like?'  
  
'Hm, I forgot to really look.' I answered quietly. I was sure that Rei would blow.  
  
'You WHAT!? How could you forget to look? You've just transferred to a school that has boys! I'm surprised that you didn't do that right away!'  
  
Rei and I quite enjoyed scouting out boys at the mall and arcade, but never got to enjoy that pleasure much. Going to an all girls school made it impossible to do so throughout the day. I wouldn't be surprised if she closed her eyes and asked me to look around so that she could see.  
  
'Usagi, look around. I want to see!' Do I know her well or what?  
  
I immediately sensed that Rei had indeed closed her eyes, allowing her to see my thoughts clearly. This allowed her to look as if from my eyes directly. Her picture was as clear as if she were sitting next to me. Rei could do this easily, but it would always give me a headache when I tried to see through her.  
  
'Oh, he's cute. So is he. Usa, who's the red headed boy? Or that one with short blonde hair? You always said I seemed to be a short blonde type.'  
  
'Rei, chill. You're going to make explode with all those questions! Besides, it's my first day. How am I suppose to know them all?'  
  
'Gomen Usa.' Rei apologized quietly. But only moments later she began again, causing me to laugh out loud.  
  
"Excuse me... Tsukino Usagi, right?" A small voice asked from my side. I immediately stopped laughing and turned towards the girl whom had been sitting beside me in class. I was sitting under a large tree towards the outskirts of the lunch area by myself and had been so wrapped up in Rei's boy ogling that I didn't hear her approach.  
  
"Hai! Please, call me Usagi. We are in class together, ne? Please, sit down." I responded to the quiet girl.  
  
"Well, yes, but I think I know you from a couple of years ago. My name is Mizuno Ami."  
  
*~*Flash*~*  
  
When I was five years old, my parents started sending me to school. Since we did not have a lot of money, I went to Juuban Public Elementary School. I was a little shy on my first day, since I did not know any of the kids in my class. I often hid in the corner of my kindergarten class and played with the dolls by myself. One day, a new girl came into my class. When the teacher introduced her to the class, she only looked down at the floor. She seemed very quiet and shy like me. During playtime that day, I found her sitting in the corner where I usually hid. For some reason, I did not feel as scared of her as I did the other kids. I walked up to her and smiled.  
  
  
  
"This is my doll, Betty. She is my best friend. She protects me from the kids in class."  
  
"She is a very pretty doll. May I hold her?"  
  
I smiled and handed the girl my doll. She hugged her close, as I often did when I was scared.   
  
"My name is Usagi. What's your name?"  
  
"My name is Ami. We just moved here because my momma got a new job. I don't have any friends here and it is kind of scary."  
  
"Don't worry Ami. I'll be your friend."  
  
"I would like that very much."  
  
From that day on, Ami and I were inseparable at school. We stuck together when kids picked on us, helped each other during activities, and played together whenever we could.   
  
When I entered first grade, the teacher sat Ami and I next to each other, even though our names did not line up alphabetically. I often wondered if the kindergarten teacher told her to do that. Ami was my best friend. She was very smart and helped me when I had trouble with my schoolwork. Once, when Ami was helping me with my writing, the teacher asked me if I was taking advantage of Ami. Since I did not know what she meant, I said yes. I was worried when the teacher looked at me with a frown, but Ami was smiling and giggling, so I figured it was okay.   
  
When I went to second grade, the teacher was not as nice as my kindergarten and first grade teacher had been. She made Ami and I sit in alphabetical order. Ami was in the middle of the room, while I was in the far back corner. I was sad, but I could still sit with Ami at lunch and play with her at recess.   
  
When I was halfway through second grade, my parents went on a trip and sent my brother Shingo and I to stay with my Grandfather Hikui. While I was there, I was unable to attend school, since my grandfather's shrine was far from school and he did not have a car to drive me. My parents told me that I was too little to ride on the bus and that it would be okay to miss a couple weeks of school. I disagreed, but really had no choice. The day before my parents left on their trip, I decided to tell Ami about staying at my Grandfather's and that I would be gone for a while. However, when I got to school, I found out that Ami had stayed home sick. I was saddened that I would not get to see my friend, but knew that I would see her as soon as my parents were back from their trip to America.   
  
*~*Flash*~*  
  
"When my mother, father, and grandparents were killed on the plane trip back from America, I fell into a terrible state. I became best friends with my cousin Rei and started a new life at the temple. Instead of attending Juuban Elementary, my Grandfather sent me to TA with Rei."  
  
"Gomen Usagi, I never knew. The teacher had told the class that you had moved. For a while, well, I missed you and wondered why you never said goodbye." Ami ended in a near whisper. I felt tears filling in my eyes, but quickly blinked them back.  
  
*Briiiing*  
  
"That's the five minute warning bell. We need to get back to class." Ami stated very matter-of-factly. She started walking while I was still trying to stand and collect my books.  
  
"Ami, matte!" I yelled as I ran to catch up with her. I finally reached her at the base of the steps into the school. "Please, I would love to make up for lost time. You were such a great friend to me before and I'm sure we could become great friends again."   
  
Ami plastered on a rather large smile.   
  
"I would like that very much."  
  
I smiled as we walked back into class together and took our seats. I quickly asked Ami to go to the arcade before Haruna began to lecture, I mean teach, again. She said yes and I smiled happily. I quickly sent Rei a mental note to meet us at the arcade after school.  
  
*~*  
  
At 3:00, the final bell rang, signaling the end of the school day. I quickly threw my books and drawings, I mean notes, into my bag and headed to the front of the class where Ami was waiting for me. We began talking about random things as if we had been best friends for years.   
  
A tinkling noise announced our arrival to the arcade. I immediately spotted Rei in a booth at the back of the small diner attached to the arcade. As Ami and I approached the table, I could sense Rei reading Ami's aura. Me, I knew that she had a good, pure soul. Rei, however, would always double-check everyone. A large smile graced Rei's face as we sat in the booth, confirming what I had already known.  
  
Motoki came over to our table and took our orders. As he left the table, I noticed a slight blush cross Ami's cheeks, making her look very pretty. After the sundaes we had ordered arrived, we quickly fell into conversation. I was glad to see Rei and Ami hit it off so well and knew that we would always be friends.  
  
Unfortunately, Ami is a genius. I don't mean that in a bad way, but she is so much smarter than Rei and I put together, although she doesn't always act it and definitely doesn't act superior. So why is this unfortunate? Because all geniuses feel that they can never learn enough. Ami is the same. Shortly after we had finished our sundaes, Ami had to leave to attend Cram School. Although I was sad that our reunion was so short, Ami said that we could go out again after school tomorrow. That made me feel a lot better.  
  
So, with Ami heading towards Cram School, Rei and I decided that we should head in the opposite direction to the temple so that we could get our chores done before Grandfather noticed our tardiness. Still in a joyous state, neither Rei nor I noticed that we were being followed.  
  
*~*  
  
"Race you to the top!" I shouted and took off, racing up the many stairs that led to the top of the hill where the shrine sat.  
  
"No fair! You got a head start!" Rei yelled as she ran to catch up to me.  
  
It's always amusing to watch people huff and puff their way up the stairs to the temple. When I was brought to the temple for the first time with my mom to meet Grandfather, I found them intimidating, as many others will agree. Now, however, it was a stroll in the park to hike up the stairs. Once, I counted the steps and came up with 86. Rei said that she counted and only got 85 and that that sound more accurate. Either way, it was a lot of stairs.  
  
"Tie!" Rei and I shouted in unison as our feet hit the top step at the same time, which happened more times than not. Smiling and giggling, we headed over to get our brooms, quite grateful that Grandfather wasn't there to scold us for being late.   
  
Rei started sweeping around the temple while I started my way to the stairs. I had swept about six steps when I had decided to stretch. The sun was hot and I felt slightly sweaty from the run up the stairs. I rubbed at my forehead and my eyes, trying to wipe off the sweat. Removing my hands from my eyes, I looked down the steps and thought I saw something in the middle of a step, about halfway down. It kind of looked like that black cat from this morning. I rubbed my eyes again, but when I looked there was nothing there. Putting aside the illusion as an effect of the sun, I returned to my sweeping.  
  
"Done." I smiled as I looked down at the pristine steps. "And in record time."  
  
"Only because I swept them so well yesterday." Rei said with a sinister smile. She was rounding the corner from the side of the shrine, apparently also done with her sweeping.  
  
"Rei!" I whined.  
  
"Usagi!" She whined back in imitation of me.  
  
"Baka!" I said as I stomped off to put my broom away, Rei's footsteps echoing behind me.   
  
Sometimes we had more fun insulting and teasing each other than we did having a normal conversation. I turned around to grab Rei's broom after putting mine away to find her with a wide grin on her face, desperately trying to retain her laughter. I took her broom with a straight, non-emotional face and put it in the shed. I slammed the door shut and turned to look at Rei with a growl. Now, she was practically falling over to retain her giggles. Of course, seeing her like this threw me into giggles and we both fell to the ground laughing out loud.  
  
Finally, after several minutes, we composed ourselves. Well, we at least stopped laughing so hard that we could stand, but we both still had a bad case of the giggles. We started walking to the front door of the shrine when I stopped dead in my tracks.  
  
"Usagi, nani?" Rei asked as she turned to see why I had stopped. I felt the color drain from my face as I starred straight forward.  
  
At a black cat.  
  
Again, I rubbed at my eyes, yet the illusion only stayed in place.  
  
"Rei, do you see a black cat?" I asked with a slight sound of fear in my voice.  
  
"Hai, I see it. Why?"  
  
"Just making sure it wasn't my imagination this time. I helped this cat this morning and now it seems like it's following me. I thought I saw it on the steps before but it seemed to disappear."   
  
Rei looked at me as if she had a question yet she refrained from asking it verbally and mentally. We walked over and squatted on the ground by the black cat. Rei put out her hand and the cat rubbed her head on it lovingly.  
  
"She doesn't seem to bad Usagi. Maybe we can keep her." Rei suggested.  
  
"Hmm, maybe. But what about Grandfather? And what about Phobos and Deimos? They may not like a cat." I stated, somewhat saddened that the cat may not be able to stay.  
  
"I don't think that Phobos and Deimos would mind." Rei started, "After all," she looked down to the cat, "You wouldn't try to eat them would you?"  
  
"Of course not!"   
  
Rei's eyes jumped up to meet mine and we just starred at each other for a moment before looking down to the cat that appeared to be blushing and hiding her mouth in her paws.  
  
I shrugged my shoulders at Rei. Weirder things have happened.  
  
"You talk?" I asked, feeling that it was a stupid question to ask an animal who had in fact just spoke.  
  
The little cat tried to shake her head no, not realizing that she was showing her complete understanding.   
  
"It's okay little neko, we all have special gifts here at the shrine and we won't make fun of you." Rei said soothingly as she began to pet the cat.  
  
The cat sat up from her attempted hiding position from her paws. She straightened her back and made a sound as if clearing her throat. "Yes, I can talk. My name is Luna."  
  
"Well Luna, what brings you here?" I asked as if talking to a cat was an everyday occurrence. After all, I can share my thoughts with birds, why not a talking cat.  
  
"I am looking for some important people. I was told that I might find them around here. Are you Usagi and Rei?" Luna asked looking between both of us. Immediately I wanted to ask how she knew our names, but as my mouth opened, Rei's said the exact words I wanted.  
  
"How the hell do you know our names!?" Okay, maybe not the exact words I would have chosen. Rei seemed very shook up at the fact that this talking cat named Luna knew our names without being told.  
  
"Oh, sorry to shock you so. Well, Phobos and Deimos told me to come here. They told me that you were two of the people that I was looking for. Usagi and I met this morning by pure chance, but I knew that Phobos and Deimos were correct."  
  
"Correct about what?" I asked, a little unsure if I wanted to know the answer. Perhaps the crows had told this cat that we could communicate with animals and wanted to turn us into some kind of Dr. Do-Little animal specialists.   
  
"You are Sailor Senshi. Soldiers of love and justice sworn to protect the Earth from any enemy that should arise to destroy it." Luna said very calmly and matter-of-factly.  
  
Rei's response? She screamed. Then she broke out in to a freakish laughter that rivals the most insane scientists the heavens have created.  
  
My response? Jaw dropped to the ground and starred out into space. The lights were on but nobody was home.  
  
Author: well, now that Usagi is comatose, you probably would like to know what happened next. Well, poor Rei laughed herself hoarse and then ended up in the same state as Usagi. Luna again placed her paws over her head, trying to hide from the world. She pondered the idea of finding a new way of informing people of their Senshi-abilities. Meanwhile, Phobos and Deimos were in the tree laughing at the scene that had just played out in front of them. Grandfather and Shingo came out looking for the girls to tell them to come to dinner when they found the girls, slack jawed, and comatose at the black cat sitting in front of them that seemed as if it was trying to curl up and disappear.  
  
"Well Shingo, looks like we have another new pet."   
  
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*   
  
This is a little shorter than the last part, but I thought it was a good place to stop.  
  
Comments, criticism, cooking tips? Send to ChibiJ77@yahoo.com 


	6. Chapter Five

When I Was A Little Girl  
  
Chapter 5  
  
By: Chibi J  
  
Rated: G  
  
Disclaimer: It's Saturday night. I'm typing on my computer. My husband and his brother are playing on the Playstation. I am listening to my Sailor Moon Best Song Collection. Reminder, it is Saturday night. If I owned Sailor Moon would I be in this situation. I think not.  
  
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*   
  
~Waking up this morning has been very difficult for me. I don't understand why though. I'm usually very good about going to bed at a reasonable hour and it has been years since I have needed an alarm clock to get up before sunrise. Yet, here I lay. The clock is telling me that I only have about a half an hour to get to school, so I really need to get ready, but it's like someone has bound all my limbs and forbidden me from getting up. My ceiling could use a new coat of paint.~   
  
"AAAHHHHHH!!!!!"  
  
~Hmm. That sounded a lot like Rei. That's weird. Why would she be screaming.~  
  
I cut off my internal debate and finally brought myself to a sitting position. I swung my legs around to the floor and heard a thunk as something fell off the bed. Looking down, I noticed something squiggling on the floor under my blanket. I rubbed my eyes and again looked down to the pile of bedding that seemed to no longer have a case of the wiggles. Shrugging my shoulders I rose and walked over to the dresser. I picked up my brush. Put it to my head. Looked into the mirror. And screamed.  
  
"AAAHHHHHH!!!!"  
  
Behind me, on my bed, sat a black cat. My memories of the day before quickly passed through my brain. It was the black cat that I had saved from the boys. The black cat that could talk. The black cat that told me that I was to become a Sailor Senshi. The black cat that could only be one thing, evil.  
  
As the thought of finding a sacred scroll to paralyze the feline entered my brain, my relatives entered my room. Grandfather was looking rather entertained, Shingo was laughing, and Rei looked like she fried herself with a fork in a wall socket. Funny, cause that's how I felt as well.  
  
"Ohayo Usagi. Glad to see you join the living. You and Rei both seem to be having difficulty greeting the world this morning." Grandfather said as he tried to restrain his laughter. I use to think that the older man stayed so young because of the joy Rei, Shingo, and I brought him. Now I know it is because he is always laughing at us.  
  
I just continued to stare at my family. I felt like I needed to say something. Or perhaps I had something that I needed to ask. Either way, my mouth would only open and close with no words forthcoming.   
  
"You look like a fish! Usagi-baka, you better get ready for school or you'll be late again!" Shingo said. He then threw a raspberry my direction and took off down the hall.  
  
"Rei?" I finally managed to choke out in a low whisper.  
  
"Usagi?" She answered back in a similar tone.  
  
"Oh, for goodness sakes. You to act like a bomb just blew up in your hands. You really ought to pull yourself together already." A voice said from behind me. Truly, I was afraid to look. I knew that I really didn't want to see a voice coming from the black cat on my bed.   
  
Rei slowly walked to me. When she got to my side, I turned around and looked at the black cat. Rei also seemed transfixed on her. We both kneeled simultaneously next to the bed so that we were at eye level with the animal.  
  
"I'm not a circus exhibit you know." She said with a slight growl.  
  
'But you could be Luna. Your back flips are really quite impressive.' The voice that I knew I only heard in my head and not through my ears came from the window. There sat the two birds that had decided to make the shrine their home.   
  
In the background I heard a bell chiming.  
  
"Kami-sama! We're late!" I yelled.  
  
Surprise was mirrored on Grandfather's, Luna's, and the birds' faces as Rei and I jumped up and began to rush around to get ready. In less than three minutes, we were running out the door. After a short distance, Rei and I had to split up to get to our separate schools, I headed to the right and Rei to the left. I knew without doubt that we would both end up with detention, but felt that Grandfather would forgive us this one time.  
  
*~*  
  
Years of hard work, discipline, and training just couldn't seem to get me to school fast enough this morning. I could sense Rei trying to hurry to school as well with just as much difficulty as I was having. After all, it's not everyday that you have to absorb the information that we had and then rush off to school before anyone can explain it to you.  
  
So, here I am, lost deeply in thought of the mysterious black cat, the ravens and their connection to the cat, and the idea that I have even more power in myself that I will have to learn to use and control. Thus my predicament. You see, many people can do two things at once, rub their tummy and pat their head, chew gum and walk, etc. But if you add a third task, things become complicated. So, while in profound thought and running, I forgot to concentrate on obstacles in my pathway.  
  
*Crash* (AN: You saw that one coming right?!)  
  
I felt myself flying through the air, tripped by a child's scooter lying in the middle of the sidewalk, and landed softly on the ground. Confused? So am I. First, I would like to know what kind of irresponsible child left out the scooter and second, why was my landing on the sidewalk not marked with scrapes, bruises, and pain.  
  
Standing up, I looked down to the cushion below me. It was a body, human, and slightly irate. I brushed off my skirt as the body turned over to look up at me. I had hit this person square in the back, totally off-guard. My eyes met blue and I shuddered in fear at the look of upset in the eyes.  
  
"Odango Atama, you need to be more careful." The voice said gruffly.  
  
"Huh?" I was confused to say the least as I began to feel around my head in concern that something had gotten stuck in my hair. The body got up from the ground and was now standing tall in front of me. Just then, my hand reached one of my buns and everything made sense."  
  
"Hey, that's not nice!" I would have gone into a longer debate but found my words caught in my throat at the sound of the bell. "I'm late!!" I yelled and took off down the sidewalk, leaving the stranger in my wake.  
  
*~*  
  
Rei and I spent most of the day talking, paying very little attention to our classes. We continued to try to figure out the puzzle that was our lives and what this new addition would mean. In the end, we decided that we simply needed to accept fate and talk to the cat. Ignoring it wouldn't make her go away and we needed more information. After all, she told us we had power, but not what or how to access it.   
  
We both had gotten detention, but mine lasted longer. It was my second day of school and my second day late. I was making a poor impression and Haruna wanted to make sure that I was never late again. Her discipline was strict, which I admired, but I was just not in the mood for lessons. Needless to say that I was grateful to leave the room and enter the fresh air of freedom.  
  
I was very surprised to find that Ami had waited for me after school. She was sitting on the front stairs of the school with a book in her lap.   
  
"Ami? What are you still doing here?"   
  
"Konnichi wa Usagi. I was waiting to talk to you. You seemed very distracted today. Is anything the matter?" Ami asked in a very quiet voice.  
  
"Iie, Ami, I'm okay, just a little out of it. I kind of, um, received a surprise yesterday at home and I just haven't had the time to get over it yet." I'm sure that if my voice would have cracked or stuttered once more that it would be a world record. Ami's face seemed to agree. I could tell that she didn't believe me.  
  
"Oh, okay Usagi. Well, I have to get to cram school. I'll talk to you tomorrow, okay?"  
  
I sighed to myself as Ami walked away from me. I felt terrible lying to her, but what was I suppose to do. It's not like I can just tell her that I have all these powers, some that I don't even know yet, and expect her not to question my sanity.  
  
I began to travel home when I noticed a very familiar head of black hair sitting on a bench in the park across the street from my school. Not that I expected to be successful, I attempted to sneak up and scare my dear cousin. I was about two feet from the bench when I noticed that Luna was sitting on Rei's lap. I tiptoed closer...  
  
"Don't even bother Usagi."  
  
...when I was caught. It's hard to scare someone who can easily sense another's presence.  
  
"Rei, you take the fun out of everything." I sighed as I sat next to her. "What's up? What are you two doing here?"  
  
"Luna thought that we should come meet you so that we could all talk. I told her that we had calmed ourselves and that we were now willing to listen." Rei said while petting the cat that was curled up on her lap.  
  
"Okay then. Well, Luna, talk." I said simply. However, silence was my answer. I looked up to see Rei smiling down at the black neko in her lap.  
  
'She fell asleep while I was petting her. While we were waiting for you, she seemed a little stressed, so I invited her onto my lap and she fell asleep shortly after.'   
  
'Poor thing. She's probably had a hard journey. I wonder how long she was looking for us, er, for the Sailor Senshi?' I asked Rei who simply shrugged her shoulders in reply. We sat silently on the bench for a while, just enjoying the pleasant weather when a scream sounded from the park.  
  
"What was that?!" I yelled as I stood up. The scream had woken up Luna who jumped from Rei's lap to the ground with a fierce growl on her face.  
  
"It's evil." Rei stated in flat, unemotional tone.  
  
"Yes, it is the Dark Moon Kingdom." Luna agreed with a fierce growl.  
  
"The Dark Moon?" I asked, confused.   
  
"Yes, they are your enemy. You two are Sailor Senshi. You are sworn to protect the solar system from evil and the Dark Moon Kingdom is that evil."  
  
"Okay," Rei started, but still didn't seem too sure, "But what do we do? I can sense they are evil and read their thoughts. Usa can do that and perhaps fly them through the air a little, but what good will that do?"  
  
"Gomen, I can't explain more, but..." Luna stopped talking before doing a flip in the air. When she landed, three sticks laid on the ground. One was red, the second was a pale blue that was almost white, and the third was a royal blue.  
  
Rei and I leaned down and each picked up a stick. She grabbed the red and I took the light blue. I immediately felt energy course through my body and a sense of security that I have never had before. Rei looked to me and I knew that she had felt the same.  
  
"These are your henshin wands. Usagi, you need to say 'Moon Power Make-up' and Rei, 'Mars Power Make-up' to transform into your Senshi forms. You are Sailor Moon and Sailor Mars." Luna stated with a sense of pride and power in her voice.  
  
Rei nodded at me and we both did as she commanded. The energy I felt when I picked up the wand was ten times as strong when I transformed. It was as if all of my powers until now had been as uncomplicated as breathing.  
  
I looked down at myself and groaned. "Blue skirt. What is it with me and the blasted blue skirt! At least it isn't as long as my new school uniform." I said with a slight frown. I was dressed in a white body suit with a short blue skirt and two red bows. Gloves stretched up to my elbows and boots to my knees. I felt my head to find a small tiara.  
  
"Oh, red, I like that." Rei said with a giggle. Then she looked down to her feet with a puzzled look. "High heels? What's the deal with that?" She asked looking between Luna and I.  
  
"Girls, really, you can ask questions about you uniforms later. We need to get to battle." Luna stated with annoyance. However, one word stuck in my mind, battle. Rei and I were trained in various martial arts, had energy rippling through our bodies, and were dressed to kill. But the idea of having a real battle made me slightly nauseous.   
  
Rei and I nodded our understanding and took off towards the direction of the screams with Luna racing behind us with the third wand in her mouth. I took notice of the third wand again, but stored it away with my other questions.  
  
Nothing in life, however, could have prepared me for the sight that we came upon. The ground was littered with bodies and a strange looking beast was floating midair above them. It was cackling as it threw out small bolts of lightening, which appeared to paralyze people. There was no blood and it appeared that everyone was still breathing. I was relieved to know that the people were alive, but concerned for how long that would remain fact.  
  
Rei turned to me with a questioning look. Unfortunately for her, my face was asking her the same question, what now? Thankfully, Luna stepped up, her mouth temporarily cleared of the third wand, and began to give directions.  
  
"Sailor Mars, you need to distract the youma so that Sailor Moon can release an attack to destroy it."  
  
"What do you want me to do? Dress in drag and do the hula?!" Mars asked with thick sarcasm. (AN: I love the Lion King.)  
  
"Gomen, I suppose you would like to know what powers you posses."  
  
"Might help." I replied sarcastically. Was it just me or were we all getting a little edgy?  
  
"Sailor Mars. Look deep within yourself. You are a source of fire. You can feel it burning in your soul, you have always felt it. Listen to the fire. She will tell you what to do."  
  
Rei closed her eyes as Luna began to speak. I could feel energy radiating off of her in waves. She was deep in concentration and her hands were coming together in front of her.  
  
"Sailor Moon, you must do the same. Look into yourself. You can only find your powers within yourself."  
  
I closed my eyes. I could feel Rei's heat next to me for a moment before I became lost in myself. Everything surrounding me was white and I felt a breeze blow through my long hair. A silent whisper was coming from behind me. The voice was very familiar and peaceful. I listened intently to the words and knew what I must do.  
  
I opened my eyes to see Rei walking beside the youma. I could sense no fear from her. She brought her hands in front of her and yelled, "Fire Soul!"  
  
The fire flew from her fingers and broadsided the evil creature. It was obviously stunned and turned to face her. I knew that it was my turn.  
  
I reached up and grabbed the tiara that had been resting weightlessly on my forehead. Winding up as if playing softball, I let all of my energy into the tiara. "Moon Tiara Action!" And the tiara became a glowing orb of energy, racing towards the youma. It struck dead center and the creature let out a horrendous scream as it faded into dust.  
  
Once again, the urge to pass out came again, but I fought it back the best I could. Rei walked over to me and we leaned on each other for support. I looked around the battle scene for Luna while making one last check that everyone was indeed alive. Unfortunately, what I saw made my blood run cold. Among the scattering of bodies was a girl with short blue hair.  
  
Rei immediately centered in on my focal point and immediately gasped. Poor Ami had been caught in the attack and was lying of the ground with her books pooled around her. We both felt the urge to run to her when Luna cleared her throat.  
  
"She is alright. They all are. But you must depart now. The authorities will be coming and you do not wish to be caught."  
  
Giving Ami a last look, Rei and I transformed and ran towards home with Luna trailing behind us.  
  
*~*  
  
Grandfather, Rei, Shingo, and I sat around the kitchen table listening to Luna talk about our past lives. She explained about the Silver Millennium, the warriors known as the Sailor Senshi, the planets of the solar system and how they were in alliance with the Moon, except for Earth, and what our duties were.  
  
Next came an explanation of the Dark Kingdom. Although Luna seemed to be missing some of her memories, she was able to give us a fairly understandable description.  
  
"They are evil, plain and simple, although they weren't always that way. Beryl rules over them all, but once she was a normal, sweet girl. She became jealous of someone, who and why I am unsure, and her jealousy became rage. Metallia was an evil source that needed a pawn to release her power through. Beryl became that pawn.  
  
"Her warriors use to have pure hearts, but were manipulated by Beryl. She hypnotized them into thinking that they were doing what was right. Together, the four men, led by Beryl, attacked all of the planets of the Silver Millennium alliance, ending with the Moon Kingdom. As the Moon Kingdom fell to Beryl, Queen Serenity sent as many people as she could to the future, to Earth. This included her daughter and fiancé, the Sailor Senshi, and the royal advisors, myself included. Unfortunately, the Dark Moon warriors managed to place themselves in the path of magic and were also sent to the future.   
  
"You will find that you, the other Sailor Senshi, Beryl, and her warriors are not far from your own age. Your spirits were sent to be born to capable parents. Some found their matches sooner than others. However, it is believed that all have been born; the youngest would now be seven, the oldest, nineteen. At this time, that is the most I can tell you. I am having difficulties remembering everything."  
  
We continued staring at the cat, waiting for more information, even though she said she had no more. Confusion was evident in all of our eyes and Luna seemed to quickly pick up on that.  
  
"You have questions, please ask." She stated in a simple voice. Not wanting to speak first, but with an important question, I raised my hand in the air.  
  
"Usagi, this isn't school, you can just ask." Luna said with hint of humor. I lowered my hand and searched for my voice.  
  
"Um, break starts in two weeks. Then we start eighth grade. Will we be able to enjoy our break?"  
  
Luna looked at me strangely. I gave a weak smile. After all, it was a very serious question. The rest of my family stared at me briefly before breaking out into laughter.  
  
"What! I'm serious!"  
  
The laughter died down, but everyone seemed in a much lighter mood. Luna told me to hope for the best. Although that didn't sound like the answer I really wanted, I accepted it.  
  
We continued to ask questions about our uniforms, our powers, the enemy, and so on. Grandfather seemed to be beaming with pride that his girls meant so much to the world. Shingo seemed a little dismayed that his only sister would be fighting evil when he shot his hand into the air.  
  
"Shingo, you are too much like your sister." Luna laughed.  
  
"Luna," Shingo started slowly and quietly, as if he was uncertain about his question. "Well, um, I'm seven. You said the youngest born was seven. Is that me?"  
  
"Hai." Luna said quietly. "You are also a reincarnation from the Moon Kingdom. My senses indicate that you were a member of the royal family, although I am unsure of whom you were exactly. However, you are not a warrior. The royal family was never meant to fight."  
  
Shingo's face dropped at the news that he would not be able to fight beside his sister like Rei. I felt sorry for him and spoke up.  
  
"Gomen, Luna, but isn't there someway that Shingo can be of help?"  
  
"Hai! He can help me with the strategical aspects of fighting. It would help me greatly." Luna answered enthusiastically, causing Shingo to grin from ear-to-ear.   
  
"It is getting late and you all have school in the morning. If you have any final questions, ask them now." Grandfather said with an air of authority. It was then that a thought from earlier crossed my mind.  
  
"Luna, when you produced the henshin wands, there were three. Where is the third one and who is it for?"   
  
"After I found you, I continued to search the area for more Senshi. It is believed that most of you would be found in the same area. I think I found another and the wand is for her. I have given it to her, although she does not know it came from me or what it is for."  
  
"Who?" I asked simply.  
  
"You will find out soon enough."  
  
*~*  
  
School was uneventful for the most part and for the last two weeks, I made it on time daily. Ami and I would eat lunch and meet Rei at the arcade after school. We became the best of friends in no time. Our month long summer break started and we were having lots of fun.   
  
The Dark Moon had not attacked since our first battle and I was grateful for that. Luna hypothesized that the appearance of Sailor Senshi may have caused uproar in the Dark Moon Kingdom. She told us that their first attacks in England had been thwarted by a Sailor Senshi and now their first attack in Tokyo was equally unsuccessful. I asked about this other Senshi, but she said she didn't have any information other than what was printed in the papers.  
  
Although we were always on alert, Rei and I decided to live the life of normal kids. Well, at least we tried. I've said it before and I'll say it again: Never let your life fall into normal. That's when it all goes wrong!  
  
*~*  
  
*Knock Knock*  
  
I ran to the door, sliding somewhat on the floor, and opened it to find Ami with a duffel bag. Rei and I decided to have a sleep over with Ami so that we could 'girl-talk,' which really meant to get Ami to confess her feelings about a boy in our class.  
  
We were having a great time vegging out, eating popcorn, and looking through mangas. Shingo had been instructed that he was to stay out and not to spy or face a fate worse than death. He agreed, but Rei would occasionally scan for his thought waves, just to be certain.  
  
Around midnight, we were all starting to tire out when Ami excused herself to the bathroom to remove her contacts.  
  
"Usagi, I forgot my saline solution, it's in my bag, could you get it for me?" Ami asked while peeking out from the bathroom.  
  
I nodded my head in agreement and started into her bag. I pushed aside her clothes and found the bottle at the bottom of the bag. I took it to her and then returned to her bag, neatly folding her clothes and placing them beside the bag. Ami came out of the bathroom moments later with her glasses on.  
  
"Usagi, you don't need to refold them, I'm sure they didn't get that messed up." Ami said with a laugh.  
  
"Well, I couldn't find your bottle, so I had to rummage all the way to the bottom. Some got really messed up." I said with a smile. As I picked up the last shirt from the bag, something caught my eye.  
  
"What's this?" I asked as I reached into her bag. Shock ran through me as I recognized the blue henshin wand that Luna said she gave away.  
  
"I don't know. Remember how I told you that I passed out in the park? Well, I found it later that day. I don't know where it came from, but I always keep it with me." Ami answered, looking puzzled. It was as if it was the first time she didn't know the answer to something.  
  
"Um, I think I know what it is. Hold on." I said as I gave Ami the wand and walked to the doorway. "Luna, Rei, come here please." Rei had gone to her room to get her pajamas and Luna was in my room. Both came out and proceeded into the small sitting room we were planning on sleeping in. I had a funny feeling that we wouldn't sleep much though.  
  
"What is it Usagi?" Rei asked impatiently.   
  
"Um, lets wait for Luna." I said and Rei looked at me strangely. As it was, Ami hadn't removed her eyes from me since I said I knew what the wand was. Luna strolled in, looking like a normal housecat that had heard her name. She stopped mid-step when she saw Ami in the room.  
  
"Ami, show Rei what you have. I'm sure Luna already knows what it is." I said with a hint of sarcasm. Although Luna had heard a lot about Ami, she had never met her. Or at least she thought she hadn't.  
  
Ami showed Rei the royal blue henshin wand and Rei dropped to the ground. I sat next to her and reached a hand over to shut her mouth. Luna walked up and sat between the cushions we were sitting on.  
  
"I guess I have some explaining to do." Luna stated in a very even tone. I think she did this as to not shock Ami.  
  
Unfortunately, it didn't work. Ami fell back onto her sleeping bag muttering something about too much studying and becoming delusional. Rei and I were both trying to suppress our giggles, now knowing what we looked like and while Shingo had found the whole situation so amusing the first time.  
  
"Here we go again." Luna sighed as laughter sounded from the hallway. Distinctly male laughing. Distinctly young male laughing.  
  
"Shingo!" Rei and I yelled in unison as we ran out the door to chase him down the hall, leaving Luna to guard over the stunned Ami.  
  
*~*  
  
Rei and I had managed to capture Shingo and were about to hog-tie him when Grandfather stepped in and made us stop. We once again went over the house rules of privacy and excess force. With a smile, Grandfather gave us each a kiss on the head and sent us on our ways. Shingo apologized and promised to go to bed immediately. Rei and I returned to the sitting room.  
  
I was surprised, to say the least, to find Ami up and conversing with Luna. It had taken Rei and I an entire night to recover from the shock Luna gave us. But here was Ami, alert and questioning, trying to gain as much information as possible.  
  
"Ami, are you alright?" Rei asked in a quiet voice.  
  
"Hai, Rei, I am. Luna and I were just discussing the Silver Millennium. It is very interesting."  
  
I looked at Rei and then back to Ami to make sure that I was hearing correctly. Rei was wearing an exasperated look, mirroring my own face, and Ami was looking as if she had just stated an everyday fact.  
  
"Um, Luna, have you told her everything?" I asked with obvious concern.  
  
"Hai. She came to right after you left. So I told her everything while we waited for you two to return. Why?" Luna stated.   
  
"Just wondering. Ami, are you okay with all of this?" I asked with concern in my voice.  
  
"Hai, Usagi. Since I can remember, I have always felt different, often knowing things that I had yet to learn. It scared me to learn no one else in the world had this ability, so I often kept to myself. This kind of explains a lot." Ami said with a smile.  
  
For some reason, it seemed natural for Ami to be so open and understanding of the entire situation. After all, she enjoyed following scientific processes to explain everything. Having an unsolved mystery, especially in her own life, drove her crazy. She wanted an answer to everything. Luna's explanation helped to answer several of those questions.  
  
We stayed up talking about what our lives would mean now that we were all Sailor Senshi. Luna had Ami transform, but instructed her to wait to try her power out. She wore a white body suit, like Rei and I, but had a royal blue skirt with light blue bows. She also wore boots, again making Rei question her high heels.  
  
We welcomed Sailor Mercury into our group. We were Sailor Senshi. We were thirteen years old and going into eighth grade. I have heard adolescence is a rough time, but this was a little extreme.   
  
Around three in the morning we all began to drift into sleep. I was grateful to feel Luna snuggle up to my side, her soft purring like a lullaby. Before I fell completely asleep, one last thought crossed my mind. It was nice to have another ally. It was better to have another friend. But what was best was the feeling that I had gained another sister.  
  
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*  
  
Oh, I want to keep going. But who can argue with ending a chapter with such a sweet thought? Anyhow, any of you wondering whom Usagi crashed into on the way to school? I bet you think you know, but you don't!! Mwhahahahah! Opps, sorry about that :)!   
  
ChibiJ77@yahoo.com 


	7. Chapter Six

When I Was A Little Girl  
  
Chapter 6  
  
By: Chibi J  
  
Rated: G  
  
Okay, so some of you may know that I'm a teacher (if ya didn't, ya do know!). Well, my students love Dr. Seuss and since it was just his birthday, here is my disclaimer in tribute to him.  
  
I would not, could not own it here,  
  
I would not, could not own it there.  
  
I could not own it in a box,  
  
I could not own it with a fox.  
  
I will not own it, not in June,   
  
I will not own this Sailor Moon.  
  
Whatcha think? (*looks around to see people slowly creeping away*) O'well. Good thing I have a day job!  
  
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*  
  
"Mercury! Duck!" I shouted quickly as I watched the youma suddenly turn and fire in Ami's direction.  
  
"Fire Soul!" Rei shouted as a stream of fire shot from her hands towards the hideous creature, singeing its shoulder. It was a sick orange colored thing with a feminine shape and small little circles covering its body. It look liked it fell into a box of Cheerios.   
  
"Sailor Mercury, provide some distraction. Sailor Moon, take it from there." Luna commanded from the sidelines.  
  
"Hai!" We responded in unison.  
  
"Hey ugly!" Ami yelled, effectively turning the beast in her direction. It stomped towards her, but Ami placed her arms in front of her chest, which caused it to stop moving in anticipation of the attack. "Shabon Spray!"  
  
I could hear the youma laughing as if it had expected a more powerful attack, but instead got bubbles. Well, if it wants a more powerful attack...  
  
"Moon Tiara Action!" I screamed as I let the disc of energy fly from my hands. The warm energy from the flying tiara immediately dissipated the fog of Mercury's bubbles allowing the youma to see the attack flying towards it. As if in a last attempt to save itself, the creature let off one last fire of orange energy, which fell nowhere near us.  
  
As we transformed back, I saw Luna running to congratulate us, or tell us what we did wrong. However, I was looking in the direction the youma's shot had fired. I had a weird feeling in my stomach, but Luna began to talk before I could express my worry.  
  
"Excellent teamwork. You are really beginning to show control of your powers." Luna said with pride in her voice. Yet, I could just hear it coming, "But you need to think ahead. Never expect a youma to only fight straight ahead. They're are not motionless and you had a close call Ami."  
  
Ami nodded her head in understanding. She was always the most accepting of Luna and her lectures. Rei would often get snippy and I seemed to get picked on a lot. Such was our life as of recent.   
  
About two weeks after my fourteenth birthday came the youma. Ami was excited to try out her power, but quickly learned that fighting creatures of the Dark Moon was not fun. Actually, it was fairly exhaustive. We have been fighting almost daily against these things for over a month. School started two weeks ago, taking any free time with it.  
  
"Usagi!" I heard Luna yell. "I have been talking to you! Why aren't you listening?" She asked slightly upset. I think she worries that Rei and I are talking telepathically when she cannot get our attention. Many times, she's right.  
  
"Gomen Luna. But I have this weird feeling. I don't know."   
  
Luna looked at me with concern in her eyes. Although she was strict with us, she also cared a great deal.   
  
"Try to explain it. What do you feel?" She asked quietly, as if trying to study the inner workings of my mind. That is a task that no mortal should take on. Who knows what they would find in there.  
  
"It's like a burning sensation. Pain, fear, crying. It hurts. But it's not me." I said as I began to wander. No one said anything, but just followed me. "It hurts, it hurts terribly."  
  
Although I could hear myself say the words and felt myself moving, I didn't feel like I had any control. I wandered towards the area of the misfired shot. There, lying on the ground was a bird that appeared badly injured. I dropped to the ground and scooped up the poor creature.   
  
The rest was rather blurry. I felt really bad for the poor animal and wished I could help it. I remember feeling warm and happy, as if in a dream. I don't know what happened, but as I cooled down, I drifted into sleep.  
  
*~*  
  
My life has never been free of burdens. Although I can remember all the happy times with my parents and grandparents and the time before Rei and I learned to communicate telepathically. I find that my life now leaves little time for memories.   
  
The gift, more like curse, of another power decided to bestow itself upon me. Grandfather informed me that this is not an inheritance and so must be from my newfound life as a Sailor Senshi. Luna, however, does not have memories of any Senshi ever having this power before.  
  
The ability to heal others has been bestowed upon me. Ami and Rei described it as a white light that ran the length of my entire body only to leak out my fingertips to the small animal I was assisting. Unfortunately, I do not know what I did and suspect that it will take some time to learn how to use this power. As it was, I slept for six hours afterwards and I only helped a little bird.  
  
For weeks after my new power was discovered Ami tried to make me use the power so that she could analyze me. Her curious mind craved more information that I, unfortunately, could not provide. It seemed that I could not call upon this power by waving my hand or stomping my feet or anything physical. I could only explain the situation as an intense emotional need. Poor Ami, she even went as far to cut her finger to try to inspire my healing ability. Unfortunately for her, I was laughing so hard at her antics that I could not feel anything but humor. She was upset by the fact that she ended up with a band-aid instead of a miracle.  
  
I was very thankful when her pursuit of knowledge took a detour from me to a new computer program. I was even more thankful when Grandfather decided to let Rei and I neglect our chores. He no longer required us to sweep the shrine steps every day but alternate with Shingo. Although he wasn't happy, we were elated. This gave us back the free time that the youma attacks had stolen.  
  
*~*  
  
"Come on, come on, come on!" I shouted at the video game in front of me. Amazingly enough, it was a game about the sailor senshi. I find it interesting that it takes years and years and still we cannot come up with cures for diseases, yet they can make a video game, mass produce, and ship it out in about a week.  
  
"Noooo!" I yelled at the machine as I watched the words "Game Over" scroll down the screen. Disgusted, I left the game area and began to walk back to the table where Ami and Rei were sitting. I had moved no more than five feet when someone walked through the door and bumped into me.  
  
"Gomen, Odango Atama." A familiar voice said with a hint of humor. "We seem destined to keep running into each other."  
  
"Hai, that we do. Please, my name is Usagi, not Odango Atama." I said slightly irritated. This, well, body, that I seemed so intent on running into simply smiled down at me in amusement.  
  
"Oh? So your odango are really just bunny ears?"  
  
I felt red. You know, that feeling when all the blood rushes to your head and you will only feel better when you explode? That's where I was. Years of patience and training and this person seemed intent on destroying me.  
  
"Usagi, please, calm down, I was only joking. Come ko-neko, I'll buy you a milkshake to make it up to you."   
  
"Ah, you know how to find my weak spot." I said with a smile, all anger disappearing. "My cousin and friend are waiting for me over here. Would you like to join us?"   
  
"Sure." The stranger replied with ease.   
  
We approached the table and I saw Rei look up and take notice. A small smile from Ami and a nod of approval from Rei led into a round of introductions.  
  
"This is my cousin, Hino Rei. And this is our friend Mizuno Ami." I said with a happy smile.  
  
"Nice to meet you. I'm Tenoh Haruka."   
  
*~*  
  
Although Haruka was often mistaken for a boy, due to her dress and mannerisms, Rei, Ami, and I quickly and easily discovered that she was, in fact, a girl. Okay, so maybe she was a little tomboyish, but still a girl.   
  
We spent a large portion of the afternoon chatting away in our booth at the Crown Arcade, happy to make a new friend and spend a day youma free. Although we doubted that the youma knew it was our day off, we were grateful for the break.  
  
Haruka, once you got past the light teasing and nicknames, was a truly enjoyable person. She had lots of interesting stories to tell, mostly about her friends from school. Haruka attended Juban High and was in eleventh grade. She claimed to have only a few friends, but I imagine that she has more of a following than she is willing to admit. The team leader of the track team, a pianist in the orchestra, and a member of the basketball team could hardly find herself without people whom would admire her and dream to be her. Yet she seemed to hold very high ideals and could be very picky about whom she associated with.  
  
By the time we left the Crown that evening, we had begun to talk and act as if the four of us had been friends for years. Not only did the promise of meeting and talking again make me feel happy, but it seemed to make Haruka happy as well.  
  
*~*  
  
"You got Rei's room. Leave a message and either Usagi or I will get right back at 'cha!"   
  
"Hey girls, Mina here! Just calling to chat. Give a call back!"  
  
*~*  
  
Rei and I arrived back at the shrine just in time for dinner. Luckily, we hadn't eaten too much at the arcade or Grandfather would have been upset at use for refusing his dinner. The meal was quite enjoyable and the conversation was very pleasant. We were disguising Shingo's day and passing dessert when the phone rang.  
  
"Moshi, Moshi." Grandfather said simply as he picked up the phone. During the day he would usually add a special greeting for those calling for the assistance of the Hikawa Shrine. However, he felt that at night this was a home more than a shrine.  
  
"Ami?" Grandfather said with a questioning tone, as if he could not believe that it was her. I immediately jumped from my seat and ran to take the phone from him.  
  
"Ami, what's up?" I asked, knowing that it was an emergency. Before she even spoke I was reading her mind.  
  
"Youma, hurry!"   
  
"Hai!" I quickly replied and hung up the phone. Behind me, Sailor Mars was waiting to go. I transformed and we ran out the door together. In the moments that I read Ami's thoughts I picked up her location. The park. Originality is not one of these creatures' strong points. Actually, they are all dumb, repetitive, and ugly. The only thing they had was increasing strength, which was a little aggravating.  
  
We arrived at the park in no time to find Ami, Sailor Mercury, hiding behind a tree firing out small bursts of bubbles. Her attack was distracting the youma, by tickling it. The sight it made was quite humorous. The purple feminine beast would try to stand, Ami would fire a small stream of bubbles, and the youma would fall to the ground laughing again.  
  
Thanks to Ami's, umm, distraction, very little power was needed. A quick toss of my tiara and we were done.  
  
*~*  
  
  
  
"You got Usagi's room. Leave a message and either Rei or I will get right back at 'cha!"   
  
"Hey it's me, Mina. I need you guys to call me! Please. Later."  
  
*~*  
  
Having wrapped up the attack at the park rather quickly, Rei, Ami, and I decided to transform back and take a walk around the park. Due to recent events, we hadn't been able to truly enjoy a day at the park for a while. However, it was a warm night and the stars and moon were lighting the park with a warm glow.  
  
"We need to find a better way to get a hold of each other." I blurted out after a moment of silence took over the group.  
  
"Hai, I agree. It's difficult to have to leave an attack to find a payphone." Ami said with a small giggle. That was exactly what had occurred to her today.   
  
"Well," Rei started, as if in serious concentration, "Usa and I can contact each other easily. So as long as one of us can be reached, were okay. But what do we use? Cell phones?"   
  
"Hmm, maybe." Ami said with an inquisitive look. I could tell that she was working the problem thoroughly in her head. Personally, I am afraid to peep into Ami's mind. I'm sure that I would get dizzy and fall down from the stuff in her brain.  
  
"But there are two many complications with phones. We need something quick and easy, like long-range walky-talkies. But they have to be on a secure frequency and compact. Something that people won't notice or be suspicious of." Ami thought out loud as we continued to walk.  
  
"Give me a day or two." Ami said with a nod to Rei and I. The rest of our walk was in a peaceful silence, although it was obvious that Ami's mind was working non-stop.  
  
*~*  
  
"You've reached the Hikawa Shrine. Please leave a message and we will get back to you as soon as possible. Our prayers and blessings are with you."  
  
"Oh, come on. Doesn't anyone live here anymore!! You have got to call me!"  
  
*~*  
  
Rei, Ami, and I finished our walk around the park and decided that we should all head home. After all, it was a school night and it was getting to be late. We said our good-byes and headed in opposite directions. Rei and I hadn't gotten to far when I began to feel itchy.  
  
'Usa and Rei...' a voice attempting to sound scary raced across my mind. Yep, definitely a Shingo-rash, very itchy and very annoying. I looked to Rei and we rolled our eyes simultaneously.   
  
'Usa and Rei...' again, very annoying. Although Shingo wasn't as bad as most people find little brothers tend to be, he still tried.  
  
'Usa and Rei...' I was ready to shout, mentally and verbally. Rei and I had decided a while back that when he played these games that we would ignore him. Our hopes of him growing up were high, but the chance of that happening-unlikely.   
  
'Usa and Rei...I'm gonna...' "GET YOU!"  
  
"AAAGGGGHHHHH!!!!!!" and we fled down the street. About a block away, we stopped, turned, and marched back to the young man with the death wish.   
  
Grandfather was standing with Shingo, both with amusement clearly written across their faces. However, it was Shingo that had to die. And he knew it. Once we were within ten feet of the two, Shingo ran as fast as his little legs would carry him. Not fast enough.  
  
Rei and I tackled my little brother to the ground and pinned down his limbs. Grandfather walked over with a light and happy expression. Shingo looked up to the old man with a pleading look.  
  
"Gomen, Shingo. But I told you not to do it. Go ahead girls, punish him." Grandfather said, trying not to laugh outright. Receiving permission to punish the little brat made it all the more fun, knowing that we would not be punished for what we did. So Rei and I let loose our most lethal attack on Shingo, the ever powerful tickle attack!  
  
*~*  
  
Once the pleasantries of Shingo's punishment were past, Grandfather took us to the ice-cream shop for a quick treat before going home to bed. However, knowing my grandfather the way I do, I knew that there was something else on his mind. Shortly after Rei and Shingo ran off to a video game, he began talking to me.  
  
"Usa dear, the man from the bank stopped by today and talked to me." Do I know my grandfather or what? "He gave me an update on the investigation."  
  
I nodded at Grandfather to continue, although I wasn't sure if I wanted to know.  
  
"He said that your parents and grandparents are not under investigation, but that the money that was given to them by your great-uncle may not have been legal. They have freed up some of your funds, but not enough to switch back to TA yet." Grandfather paused to sip his drink, as if avoiding continuing.  
  
'Grandfather, please tell me the rest.' I asked with concern. Whatever he was hiding, he was doing it for me.  
  
"Hai. Evidently, the police and bank believe that your great-uncle was involved with some not so business-like people. He didn't do anything wrong necessarily, but a man he was know to be friends with was accused of murder. The police believe that the man was giving money to your great-uncle to hold for him. Then the man disappeared. When your great-uncle passed away, the money was still willed to his family and therefore was passed onto your grandparents and onto you.  
  
"The police and the bank are trying to prove that the money actually belonged to the murderer and retrieve it. So they are going to continue investigating into the affairs of your great-uncle and this man until they find the proof or disproof they need to solve all their questions."  
  
Grandfather and I sat in silence for a couple minutes before Rei and Shingo had returned from the video game they had been playing. I smiled lovingly at Shingo and gave him a pat on the head. In a way, I was grateful that my parents and grandparents passed away before they learned of what dishonor was being brought to the family name. If what Grandfather said was true, then a man I never met that lived in another country would disgrace my whole family.  
  
Shortly after, we left the ice-cream parlor and headed for home. It was a quiet walk to the shrine, as if everyone had known what Grandfather had told me and it was soaking into their systems. However, I knew that Rei and Shingo had no idea of what Grandfather and I discussed.  
  
"Now, to bed immediately and I will be checking." Grandfather said in a stern voice the moment we walked into the shrine. His tone of voice left no room for argument as we each proceeded to our rooms.  
  
Entering my room, I found the light on my answering machine blinking. Although I thought twice before pushing it, I knew that the message might be important.   
  
"Hey it's me, Mina. I need you guys to call me! Please. Later."  
  
I had to laugh. Minako sounded as if the end of the world was coming.   
  
'Rei, Minako called.'  
  
'You too? She called me and left a message to call. It sounds important.'  
  
'Yeah, she sounded a little nervous. Wonder what's up?'  
  
"I said go to bed!" Grandfather yelled from down the hall.   
  
'Well, whatever it is, will have to wait until tomorrow.' I thought in a whisper. 'Good night.'  
  
'Night Usa.'  
  
"I mean it. Sleep now!!"  
  
Not wishing to upset Grandfather and get in trouble, I quickly jumped into bed a made a mental note to call Minako right after school.  
  
*~*  
  
Of course the thing with mental notes is that you have to actually remember!   
  
I need to start writing notes for the things to remember. After a day like today, how was I supposed to remember anything!  
  
First, although I had arrived to school on time, I had forgotten one of my homework assignments on my desk. This earned me a detention. Then, during my second period gym class, a youma attacked. It was near the subway by TA school. Rei picked up on its aura and skipped out of school to track it down. She found it and needed my help to destroy it. So Ami and I skipped out of gym.  
  
So, my second detention of the day was received sneaking back into school. Ami was quite upset to get her first detention ever. I felt guilty that she got it and tried to comfort her during third period and was caught talking by the teacher earning, drum roll please, my third detention of the day.  
  
After school, and detention, ended, I walked home to find Rei sweeping the steps by herself. I had let her know my predicament and she agreed that she would start chores right away and I could catch up when I got there. I greatly appreciated it.  
  
However, Grandfather didn't seem too pleased. He was willing to accept one detention for the youma attack, but three? Nope, not acceptable. So I was blessed with the extra chores punishment. Always my favorite. Please note that I am being very sarcastic.  
  
By the time I had finished all the chores, done my homework, and ate my dinner, I was exhausted. I collapsed on the bed and completely forgot to call Mina.   
  
So when the phone rang hours later and woke me from a very sound sleep, I was a little disturbed. I reached over and grabbed the phone and silently vowed to kill the caller.  
  
"Moshi, moshi." I moaned into the phone.  
  
"Usagi?" It was Minako and she sounded like she was going to explode.  
  
"Hai. What's up Minako?"  
  
"Where have you been? I've been calling forever! Why didn't you call me back?"  
  
"Gomen Mina..." I stopped. I could feel Minako's emotions pouring off of her like water over Niagara Falls. Her thoughts were screaming in my head. However, one stuck out and I couldn't help but want to laugh. Life was full of so many ironies.   
  
"Minako, since when are you a Sailor Senshi?"  
  
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*  
  
Doesn't that seem like a great place to stop?? I thought so.   
  
Well now, we got another familiar face in the crowd. See Ceara, I got Haruka in next!  
  
Hmm, okay. So I know it is a little unrealistic to have all those phone lines, but I used to have a friend whom had a personal phone line in every bedroom and a main line for the house. Can you imagine that phone bill!  
  
Okay, comments to ChibiJ77@yahoo.com 


	8. Chapter Seven

When I Was A Little Girl  
  
Chapter 7  
  
By: Chibi J  
  
Rated: G  
  
Standard Disclaimers.  
  
This is dedicated to Sailor Sista, for her loving heart. Also, for her wonderful editing skills!! Also, to all my insane cohorts. *gets out bashful the bear* I hope you enjoy your reading!   
  
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*  
  
The silence on Minako's end of the phone line continued on so long that I almost hung up the phone. Sure, I may have stunned her, but the least she could do was breath so that I knew she was still alive.  
  
"Minako, honey, if you don't breath you won't be able to fight evil." I said with a yawn. Looking over to my bed, my pillow looked very inviting. In the back of my mind, I registered that Minako had indeed begun breathing again. However, it did not seem as if she had come out of her unconscious state yet. Her mind was blank, nothing I did could prod her mind out of its stupor.  
  
"Mina, if you don't come to soon, I'm hanging up. It's really late and I need sleep." I said finally. As much as I love this girl that I have never met face-to-face, she really could be quite a pain. Her middle of the night calls were often fun, but today was an exhausting day and I really wanted to go back to sleep.  
  
"Usa, how did you know?" Minako's soft voice finally came across the phone line. That simple question confirmed the fact that I would not be getting much more sleep for the evening.   
  
"Minako, it's a long story. I really don't want to tell you all of it by myself, so let me get Rei." I said, internally I was laughing. Rei has always hated having her sleep disturbed, yet I knew she would not want me to tell Minako all our secrets without her.  
  
'Rei, wake up. I need you in my room.'  
  
'Usa, what? Why? Go back to sleep.' Rei replied groggily. Again, I could feel her asleep. She always complained about how hard it was to wake me, but she was the original Sleeping Beauty, un-wake-able by any normal means.  
  
'Rei, get up or I'll get the water bucket!' I shouted into her subconscious. Moments later I heard her footsteps outside my door. Throwing open the screen, Rei stepped in with an evil look upon her face.  
  
"This better be important." She snarled before noticing the phone on my ear. "Is it Mina?" She asked with mild concern.  
  
I simply smiled and allowed the message I had received from Mina's mind to play in my own. It was interesting to watch Rei's face change from exhaustion to worry to immense shock.  
  
"Minako's a Sailor Senshi?!" Rei yelled, most likely awaking both Grandfather and Shingo at the same time. Quickly, she ran over and grabbed the second phone that connected to my phone.  
  
"Mina! What's up?!" Rei asked quickly, but received an answer of empty air. Rei looked at me in question and I simply smiled.  
  
"She seems to be having a bit of shock with all this." I said with a small hint of sarcasm.  
  
"Understandable." Rei agreed.   
  
Together, we sat on the phone and waited patiently until Minako felt ready to talk. We told her about our being Sailor Senshi, about our various talents and abilities, and about our special gifts that we had inherited from our family. Discussions of youma, Luna, and the battles we had fought left us talking into the early hours of the morning.   
  
The idea of having to go to school jumped into my mind and I pleaded with Mina to let us go to bed for a few hours before we had to leave to pursue knowledge for the day. Although she really didn't want to let us go, she finally agreed to hang up the phone, but only after receiving a promise to talk later the next day.  
  
*~*  
  
School the next day was difficult, at best. Luckily, I have Ami in almost all of my classes. Although she understood my exhaustion, she refused to let me sleep through my classes. She was shocked to find there was another Sailor Senshi, especially in England. She found it terribly ironic that the same girl Rei and I met through a prank call was actually Sailor Venus.  
  
As promised, Rei, Ami, and I spent the entire evening talking to Minako on the phone. She had explained how she met Artemis in the park at the exact moment a youma attacked. I was afraid that the monsters were spreading across the world, but Minako said that the beast seemed very lost. We all hoped that it was just some odd coincidence that he landed in that continent.  
  
Time began to move quickly again, the winter holidays came and went without too much hassle from the dark empire. We still had an average of one youma per week, but they were not too terrible or difficult to handle. Minako had about three in the time we had twenty, yet she always said that they seemed very lost and confused. Ami quickly used her computer and determined that it was probably due to a portal. Quick as always, Ami mapped out the location for Mina and she destroyed the access point. Luckily for her, all was quiet after that.  
  
Early in the month of February, our sensei at the martial arts center fell ill. He asked several of his older students to help him with his lessons, Rei and I included. Most of the classes were young children and Rei and I agreed to help.  
  
*~*  
  
"Kick, punch...(AN: lets just say this is a warm up routine)." I yelled out the instructions to the children, who complied immediately. Most of the children in my group were five and six year olds. Rei was working with a group of seven and eight year olds, including Shingo.   
  
"Breath." I reminded the children as I wandered around the small group to observe their technique. However, my attention wandered over to a set of mats on the other side of the room. The building was large and had nine areas with mats and mirrors for lessons; my class was at mat two. On mat nine, was a man and a woman actively involved in a fight.   
  
However, to simply call it a fight was to call an opera just singing. Their movements were fluid and graceful. It was as if the two people were dancing a routine that they had practiced for years. They seemed to read each other's mind in anticipation and preparation for the next move.   
  
I found myself staring and completely ignoring my class. The beauty of the man with dark ebony hair and the girl with deep brown hair entranced me. Both were smiling, as if teasing one another. Their kicks and punches were accompanied by flips, twists, and high jumps. The mats below their feet seemed untouched by their light feet and movements.  
  
I was fascinated. Silence filled my ears, and for a moment, I noticed nothing but "the dancers" performing. Snapping briefly to reality, I gave a quick check behind me that was still continuing through the warm up routine. I brought my eyes back to the match just in time to see the brunette make a swipe at the dark haired man. She missed, causing him the opportunity to bring her down and end the match.  
  
With a sigh, I turned back to my class and resumed our lesson. However, my mind wandered. Who were those two? Why had I never seen them before? Unfortunately, Rei, who had been reading my thoughts, had no answer for me.   
  
*~*  
  
After a few weeks of working at the center, our sensei was back to perfect health and working again. Although I enjoyed my time working there, I was grateful to have back my small amount of free time. But I was slightly upset that I never saw the mysterious couple that sparred so beautifully.  
  
With only a month and a half until summer vacation (AN: I don't know if I said before that I follow an American school calendar because I don't know the Japanese school year), I applied my self fully. Entrance exams were coming up and Ami kept me studying hard. Rei studied with us, but TA didn't require exams to enter the high school. It just reminded me of one more reason why I wanted to go back.  
  
The week before the exams, the school was in a flurry of activity, so much so, that hardly anyone noticed a new girl enter through our classroom door. She seemed very familiar to me, but I put it aside and concentrated on my textbook.   
  
"Class, this is Kino Makoto." The sensei said from the front of the classroom. I looked up and smiled at the girl. She had a tough demeanor and refused to meet my smile. With a slight huff, I began to work again. "Normally I would have you introduce yourself, but everyone is busy studying for exams." Sensei said to Makoto. She merely nodded and proceeded to the open desk the sensei pointed out.  
  
"Ami, I just don't get this one." I pleaded to Ami, who in turn gave a sigh. She knew the information forward and backwards and promised to help me study. Ami had made a vow to not let me fail, which she probably wished she had never done.  
  
"Usa, it's simple. Look." She said and worked through the problem. Her hands moved the pencil across the paper like an artist with a paintbrush. "Done." She said with a smile.  
  
I looked up to see that about five faces were turned and watching Ami do the problem. Being the school genius, many looked to Ami for advice and help, but she concentrated on me.   
  
"Okay, enough of all this." I said and put my pencil away. "Let's talk about this weekend, after the exam."   
  
Ami smiled at me and sighed. She knew not to try and persuade me to work more. After all, there is only so much a mind can take, especially mine.  
  
"Well, what does Rei say?" Ami asked, knowing that all three of us needed to agree on something this time. Agreements between the three of us were very seldom.  
  
"She insists on a sleepover." I told Ami, after a brief communication with Rei.  
  
"Okay, that's doable." Ami said, and scribbled on the notepad in front of her. "How about we go to the museum?" She suggested.  
  
I simply turned up my nose, effectively sharing my feelings. "Rei agrees with me, no museum."  
  
Ami chuckled and thought for a while. Rei was rambling in my head, leaving me little time to have my own thoughts on the subject.   
  
"Rei thinks we should go skating, get ice cream, or go to the mall." I supplied to Ami, who turned up her nose.  
  
"We always go to the mall!" Ami argued. Now my mind was really turning. Rei was arguing with Ami, even though I had to voice the words.  
  
"Rei says we do not and that you always want to go to the museum." I supplied. Ami was turning red.  
  
"I do not!" She shouted, before quickly covering her mouth. A dirty look from our teacher had Ami quickly apologizing. "Gomen sensei." Turning a brilliant shade of red, Ami turned back to me with a glare.  
  
"Hey, don't shoot the messenger!" I pleaded with my hands raised in innocence. Ami huffed and decided not to finish the conversation.   
  
I sighed and replied to Rei that we were done planning. She "signed off" and I went back to working at my desk. Too flustered to work on academics, I began doodling on scrap paper, unaware that someone had been watching throughout our entire conversation.  
  
*~*  
  
Ami and I met for lunch at our normal tree on the outskirts of the school. It was always quiet and we could discuss anything without worry of interruption or being overheard.  
  
"Um, Ami, what about going to a movie?" I asked her, as I unpacked my lunch onto a napkin. "Anything new out?"  
  
Without a pause, Ami reached into thin air and produced her mini-computer. She flipped it open and pushed a button.  
  
"Ami-1022-9." She said in a monotone voice that the computer would recognize.  
  
"Welcome Mercury." The computer responded in a digital voice. "How may I help you?"  
  
"Movie listings please." After a moment of humming, the computer listed a display of the local theaters, shows, and times.  
  
"Anything new we haven't seen?" I asked. Even looking over her shoulder, I had difficulty reading the mini-computer. Not only was it small, but organized in a way that worked best for Ami.  
  
"Nope." Ami said as she closed down the screen.   
  
"Would you like anything else today Mercury?" The computer asked.  
  
"No thank you, I think we are set. You may shut down." Ami replied as if talking to a friend she had known for years.  
  
"Thank you. Shutting down." The computer responded. When the screen went blank, Ami closed it and set it aside.  
  
Ami and I finished our lunch and returned to class, where we were again given a free period to study. Knowing how important the exams were, it was more than likely that we would not be given an actual lecture or assignment all week. The teachers were too involved in helping those who needed to catch up desperately, or be stuck with them another year. I was lucky to have Ami as my personal tutor.  
  
We took two seats near the back. We were studying English when I heard an unfamiliar voice cussing behind me.  
  
"Work damn it!" The girl kept shouting. Ami and I looked back to see that someone had set up a folder and was hiding behind it. "Come on, work!"  
  
"Command not valid." A digital voice spoke out. Ami and I quickly looked to each other, immediately recognizing the voice. With a quick move, Ami tried to reach into her dimensional pocket, only finding her henshin wand.  
  
"I didn't put it away!" She whispered fiercely to me. We both stood and walked to the desk behind us.  
  
"Excuse me?" I asked as I approached the girl. She was the new girl from this morning.  
  
"What do you want?" She said with a growl. Although pretty in face, her attitude sucked.  
  
"That belongs to my friend Ami. Please return it." I said in my most calm, clear, and insistent voice.  
  
"Doesn't matter. It's a broken piece of crap." She said as she threw it into the air. Ami and I both gasped, watching it fly through the air as if in slow motion. I immediately launched my body to catch it, forgetting the desk in front of me. I flopped on the desk most ungracefully. Ami lunged for it, being on the correct side of the desk, but came up short.   
  
Within a moment, however, another hand snaked out and grabbed it. The hand was the same that threw it. With a smile, she pocketed the device in her skirt pocket.  
  
"Tsukino, Mizuno, Kino-hall now!" The sensei shouted from the front of the class. In my attempt to get the computer, I had flopped the desk to the ground and Ami was sprawled on the floor. We made quite the sight, although my teacher seemed to thing we were being disruptive. Possibly due to everyone laughing hysterically at us.  
  
With our heads down in shame, Ami and I walked towards the front of the class and out the door. However, the girl, Makoto, walked with her head held high and proud. We were all stuck out in the hall for the rest of the class to "contemplate" what the exams mean to us and if we could afford to waste study time.  
  
As Makoto passed us out the door, she slipped the mini-computer to Ami. I looked up to see her smiling as she leaned against the wall. Ami immediately opened the computer and clicked away at buttons. Again giving it her password, the computer complied.  
  
"Hey! I said that and it wouldn't do a thing!" Makoto cried out from her position on the wall. Ami and I chose to ignore her.  
  
"Memory check."  
  
"Clear."  
  
"File check."  
  
"All files found."  
  
"Theft lock."  
  
"One attempted unauthorized entrance."  
  
"Storage."  
  
"No items removed from storage."  
  
"Secrecy."   
  
"No secrets revealed."  
  
Ami finished her system checks with the computer while I watched. Unknowingly, Makoto had scooted closer to us on the wall.  
  
"Geez, talk about computer friendly." She commented from behind my shoulder. I immediately turned to glare at the girl, that unfortunately stood a good four inches taller than me.  
  
"It's none of your business." I replied with anger.   
  
"Usagi." Ami admonished me with a look. "Thank you for returning this." Ami said with an even tone. As always, Ami tried to keep peace in the world, not just from monsters, but with everyone.  
  
"Whatever." Makoto replied before scooting back down the wall. We all stood there quietly until Ami decided that she could keep me studying in the hall. She would ask me a word and I would give the English translation. I was doing well until I hit a word that I thought I had never heard before.  
  
"Bacon?" I asked unsure.  
  
"No."  
  
"Tomato?"  
  
"No."  
  
"Relish?"  
  
"No. Come on Usa." Ami pleaded with me.  
  
"Well, I know it's a food!" I whined. I really hate studying.  
  
"Potato."   
  
"Huh?"   
  
"She's right." Ami supplied.  
  
"She's right?" I asked. Makoto had supplied the answer that I had been trying so hard to get. "How do you know?" I asked her, maybe a little harsher than I should have.  
  
"I like to cook, so sue me." Makoto replied in a huff. She once again turned away from us. I looked back to Ami and she nodded to me. Without a word between us, we both walked the few steps to stand besides Makoto.  
  
"Look, we started off on the wrong foot. I'm Usagi, this is Ami." I said as I stuck out my hand. She took it in her slightly larger hand and shook it. As if a peace offering, Makoto smiled.  
  
"Okay, first, I'm Makoto." She started. However, with her tone of voice and the way she talked, I knew that there was more coming. "Second, I've seen you before at the martial arts center." She said looking at me. As if a dawning light, my face lit up with recognition. This was the girl that had been sparring the other day on mat nine! "And I can see that you now recognize me. Third. Who is Rei? Do you have some kind of mental disorder with multiple personalities or something?"  
  
Ami looked to me and I could see her face drain of color, as mine was. I tried quickly to think of a dozen excuses, none forthcoming. I thought of asking Rei for help, but knew that I needed to answer quickly. Ami, bless her genius and ability to work under pressure, simply shrugged her shoulder.   
  
"Are you busy this afternoon?" I asked. Maybe it was a stall, I'm not certain. "It will take a while to answer everything."   
  
"I suppose so. I just have to check in at, umm, home." I nodded, but noted that the last word, "home", came out in a sense of confusion. Perhaps I wouldn't be the only one sharing secrets by the end of the night.   
  
For some reason, I had a feeling that I could trust this girl, although I knew nothing of her.  
  
*~*  
  
I had informed Rei of the fact that Makoto would be coming over shortly after school let out, although I didn't tell her why. Ami told me that I should warn her, but I felt that I could wait to be burned until later.  
  
Ami and I arrived at the shrine to find Rei already sweeping the steps. Not one to waste time, I picked up a rake and started working on the yard. Ami, as usual, was working on her computer with Luna asking some questions. We had been trying to determine the motives of the youma, but so far hadn't gotten farther than energy collection. There had to be some other underlying plan.  
  
So, immersed in what we were doing, we never heard Makoto coming up the stairs. At first, it seemed that nothing was wrong and that she hadn't heard Luna speaking or Ami speaking back. Nor had she noticed that Rei and I were having an argument, in which only she was speaking.  
  
"Makoto! Welcome to the Hikawa shrine!" I said and skipped merrily to her side. She seemed to be laughing at me, though I was used to people doing that. "Okay, introductions. Kino Makoto this is my cousin Hino Rei and you remember Ami from school and of course you all know that I'm Usagi." I ended with a chipper laugh.  
  
Which caused Rei to groan. "Give up Usa! We all know that your nuts, stop trying to prove it!" Rei said and stuck out her tongue.  
  
'Yeah, well, if I'm nuts, so are you Pyro!' I yelled in my mind, knowing that it would scream in her mind.  
  
"I'm not a Pyro!" Rei yelled and began to chase me with a handful of leaves. I ran, although I could still hear Ami.  
  
"Please excuse them, they are always like this." She said with a smile.  
  
Shortly later, out of breath, Rei and I collapsed on the stairs by Ami and Makoto. Someone had brought out tea and cookies, most likely Grandfather, and the two girls were talking quietly about the school.   
  
"What we talking about?" I asked, finally gaining back my breath.  
  
"The school. You know, classes, teachers, rumors...that kind of thing." Ami replied with a smile. I knew that she was just trying to assure me that she hadn't been talking about anything really important.  
  
"Okay, so I want some information." Makoto started roughly. I could tell that it was just an act, or Rei would have said something about her aura by now. "First, what's with the talking cat?"  
  
The blood rushed from all of our faces and Luna simply stared at her. The girl was observant.   
  
"Okay, no answer to that one, so I'll ask it directly." She said, and then turned to Luna. "How is it that you, a cat, can talk?"  
  
"Well..." Luna started. The cat was out of the bag (AN: I know, bad pun) so she decided to just give in. Besides, she sensed something from this girl. "I am what you might call a guardian. I have been sent here to care for and train Usagi, Rei, and Ami."   
  
"Okay." Makoto answered simply. The fact that the cat could talk seemed to have little affect on her. "That makes sense. Can't train someone if they can't understand you."   
  
I looked in-between Rei and Ami, wondering if they could believe what was happening here. This new girl was having a conversation with our cat as if it were completely normal. Even though we accepted it, we never considered it to be a normal occurrence.  
  
"Second question. Your Rei." Makoto said pointing. "Usagi was answering questions for you to Ami. How did she know what to answer? It seemed like she wasn't just making up an answer based on how she knows you."  
  
Again, silence greeted her question. At that moment, another voice joined our conversation.  
  
"Usagi and Rei can communicate telepathically. It's a gift handed down in our family." Grandfather answered the girl. She nodded her head as if in appreciation of the question. By the time I had turned around to ask Grandfather why he told her, he was gone.  
  
"Nice guy. Gets straight to the point." Makoto said with a laugh. "Okay, so that leaves one last question. You have a talking cat, can communicate telepathically, I've seen the things that computer can do, and I know that at least Usagi here can fight. So who are you guys really?"  
  
I shrugged my shoulders. After all, she knew everything else, why not blow all our secrets. "We are the Sailor Senshi. I'm Sailor Moon, Rei is Sailor Mars, and Ami is Sailor Mercury."  
  
Again, Makoto just nodded her head, as if she was finding the last pieces of a large puzzle. "Makes sense, the computer called Ami Mercury." She paused for a moment before her face lit up. "So, how do I join?"  
  
"You can't just join. You have to be..." But Rei's sentence was cut off by Luna doing one of her ever-famous back flips. A green henshin wand fell to the ground in front of Makoto.  
  
"It's really quite simple." Luna answered. Makoto picked up the wand and the previously silent wind seemed to pick up around us. Energy was surging through Makoto's body and we all felt it, like a shock from an electrical socket.  
  
"I knew it. I always knew it." Makoto mumbled to herself, as if confirming every suspicion she had ever had. "I told him I was right."   
  
"What?" I asked, curious about the pieces of information I was obviously missing.  
  
"Nothing." She said with a tone that indicated no further conversation would occur on the subject.  
  
"Welcome Sailor Jupiter." Luna said with a smile as Makoto continued to twirl the henshin wand in her hand. "All you need to say is 'Jupiter Power Make-up' and you will transform. But I don't advise you to do it now; we are in too public of a place. The girls can take you to the training area later. For now, I believe they have some questions for you."  
  
Makoto nodded her understanding and put her wand into her dimensional pocket, immediately knowing where it was. This stunned all of us, even Luna, as none of us had that information until Luna told us.  
  
"Okay, me first. How did you know what to do with your wand?" Rei asked skeptically. She could believe that this girl was Jupiter, but it appeared that she couldn't trust how she knew everything. But, that was my darling cousin.  
  
"I've always known about things. Kind of like a premonition. My dreams tend to dictate the course my life will take. A friend of mine used to share his dreams with me and we tried to discover the meaning of them. Shortly after that, we realized that my dreams had meaning too."  
  
"Works for me." I said with a smile. "Why did you transfer to Juban Junior High?" I asked, which caused her to look down in shame.  
  
"I got kicked out for fighting and having a bad attitude. I couldn't care less. People were always teasing me. I'm better off with a fresh start." She answered, almost as if explaining it to herself.   
  
"Why do people tease you?" Ami asked quietly.  
  
"Because I'm an orphan. My only friend is a guy that I know from the orphanage. Actually, he's letting me stay at his apartment until I can get my own. I can't wait!" Makoto ended with a smile. Her smile quickly turned to a frown as she realized that she perhaps shouldn't have said what she did. "Great! Just great! Now you'll all either have pity or nicknames and rumors to start about me." She said with a sigh. She stood and started pacing.  
  
I quickly leapt to my feet and approached the girl. Makoto stopped and looked at me. I could not only see the small tears forming in the corners, but also the fear.  
  
"Please, don't ever worry about that." I said and took her hand into mine, trying to comfort her. "I lost both my parents when I was seven. Rei's mother died when she was six. Ami's father passed away when she was only four. We all share the tragedy of death in our lives. Never fear the need to talk about it with any of us."   
  
"Thank you Usagi. I truly appreciate it." Makoto answered, wiping a few tears from her eyes. "Any other questions?" She asked, her voice taking on a much more chipper tone.  
  
"Yeah!" I said with a giggle. "Who were you sparring with the other day?"   
  
Rei gave a small giggle once she heard my question. Makoto looked at her and realized that she had been at the center that day too. A blush rose on Makoto's cheeks. "I didn't realize that anyone had been watching us."  
  
"Well?" Rei pressed for the answer.  
  
"Oh, he's my roommate, Chiba Mamoru."  
  
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*  
  
You wanted it, you got it. End Chapter 7! Wait for Chapter 8 *wink, wink*   
  
Please review or e-mail or let me know in some way that you liked or disliked what you just read. ChibiJ77@yahoo.com 


	9. Chapter Eight

When I Was A Little Girl  
  
Chapter 8  
  
By: Chibi J  
  
Rated: G  
  
Standard Disclaimers.  
  
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*  
  
Saturday came quickly, bringing with it the most dreaded thing in an adolescent's life, entrance exams. Prepared only with scrap paper and a set of number two pencils, I entered the door marked S-T. Students from several different schools were present, all dressed neatly in their school uniforms. I took a seat in the third row and hoped that I would do well.  
  
Four hours after the exams began, I closed my test book and walked to the front of the room. I was definitely not the first done, but I wasn't the last, which made me feel a little bit better. With all the help that Ami had given me, I felt confident that I passed. Unfortunately, test results wouldn't be posted for three weeks, giving me plenty of time to worry that I failed, despite Ami's tutelage.   
  
I found Ami sitting under our tree reading a book. She looked up to me with a confident smile, assuring me that she had aced the exams. I sat next to her and leaned my head up against the tree. Ami resumed her reading and I closed my eyes. We promised Makoto that we would wait for her to finish and then head to the shrine together.   
  
Makoto quickly became a part of our everyday routine. Although we had only known her for four days, she became a staple of everyday life. She had a wonderful personality, once you got past her rough exterior. She was a wonderful cook and spoiled us with special treats. Without any hesitation, Rei, Ami, and I accepted her into our hearts and lives.  
  
Tonight we were going to be having our slumber party. Rei was at the shrine working, having no need to take the exams, and everything would be ready for us to simply enjoy the rest of the day. Ami and Makoto had already packed their overnight bags and dropped them off before we left for the exams.   
  
I heard the ground crunching under someone's feet and looked up to see Makoto walking towards us. She had a smile on her face and gave us a thumbs-up.   
  
"All done." Makoto said with a large grin.  
  
"How'd you do?" I asked, but could tell by her face that she did well.   
  
"Not too bad, you?"   
  
"I think I did okay." I answered with a shrug. Deep down, I prayed to the gods that I had passed. There was no way that I wanted to repeat eighth grade.  
  
"How about you Ami?" Makoto asked. I rolled my eyes. Knowing Ami, she probably feared that she missed a question.  
  
"I did well. But there was a question in the science section that I may have missed. I suppose that I didn't study hard enough." Ami said with a sigh. I told you I knew her.  
  
"You studied plenty." I said quickly, afraid that our slumber party would turn into a study session.  
  
"Come on, let's get out of here." Makoto said with a smile. "It's time to relax and PARTY!"  
  
I was laughing hard as Ami nodded her head in agreement. We began to walk towards the shrine when a motorcycle pulled up along the sidewalk.  
  
"Yo! Makoto!" A voice shouted from behind a black helmet.  
  
"Mamoru. What are you doing here?" Makoto asked the biker. I smiled. This was Makoto's roommate and best friend Chiba Mamoru. I secretly wished that he would take his helmet off so that I could see his face. I knew from seeing him fight that he had a well-toned body, dark hair, and a dark complexion. Yet I hadn't seen his face yet.  
  
"Just came by to see how you did." He replied with a hint of humor to his voice.  
  
"I'll be seeing you at school next year, don't you worry." She replied with a large smile.  
  
"I never worry." He said with a laugh. "Who are your friends?"  
  
"This is Ami and Usagi." She said, pointing to each of us in turn. "I'm staying at Usagi's place tonight, remember?"  
  
"Oh, yeah. Well, have fun!" He said with a wave, taking off down the street.  
  
"Well, now you have met the ever elusive Chiba Mamoru." Makoto said with a sigh.  
  
Again, we began our journey towards the shrine. We were all silent, but my mind was spinning. Who was that guy? Why did he seem so familiar? There was something besides seeing him at the Martial Arts center that was floating in my mind, just out of reach.   
  
"Makoto, why didn't he take off his helmet?" I asked, still upset that I didn't get to see his face. Perhaps that would have helped me to gain a grasp on these memories.  
  
"I'm not sure. He was probably just in a hurry. That or he didn't want to show off his helmet hair." Makoto replied with a laugh. I just shrugged my shoulders. So the mystery of the man known as Chiba Mamoru would continue.  
  
*~*  
  
"Makoto, is the next batch done yet?"   
  
"Usagi! You just ate two dozen! Aren't you full yet?"  
  
"Not likely." Rei and Ami answered in unison. The two girls were laughing, near hysterics, and Makoto joined them. I just stood there with my arms crossed in front of me.  
  
"I can't help it. I have a fast metabolism and her cookies are good." I said, faking a pout.  
  
"Oh, poor Usagi." Makoto faked a sympathetic face. "I promise they'll be done soon."  
  
"And so will she if she forces down one more cookie!" Rei said, causing everyone to break out into laughter. She then proceeded to do her "Usagi, the floating blimp" imitation.  
  
'Shut up Rei!' I yelled at her mentally. Everyone always picked on me. I was getting sick and tired off it.  
  
'Oh, Usa, you know that we are just teasing.' Rei pleaded with me. 'Don't take it so seriously.'  
  
I leaned against the kitchen counter and could feel tears rising in my eyes. Rei wasn't completely apologizing and Ami and Makoto were still laughing. Under most circumstances, I could take a joke at my expense. But for some reason, this upset me. Perhaps it was the memory of my mother making me cookies. Or my father praising my healthy appetite.   
  
Rei must have picked up on my thoughts, for she was immediately throwing her arms around me in a large hug. I hugged her back and let the tears fall from my eyes. Ami and Makoto stopped laughing immediately and stared at Rei and I, confusion spread across their faces.  
  
"I'm sorry." I said with a sigh as Rei released me from my hug. "I was just thinking about my parents."   
  
"How did they die?" Makoto asked quietly as she reached into the stove to remove the cookies.   
  
"They were shot on a plane." I answered. However, Makoto's reaction was not expected. She nearly dropped the cookies she was removing from the oven.  
  
"Are you serious?" Makoto asked, turning from the stove. I could see that her face had gone a pale white.  
  
"Yes. A man shot them on a flight back from America." I replied. Makoto fell to her knees in front of the stove. "Makoto! Are you okay?!"   
  
"Yes, no. I mean...when." She stuttered out.  
  
"When I was seven."  
  
"Mine too." Makoto whispered. Then, as if for the first time, Makoto looked at me with wide eyes. "You were the girl at the orphanage."  
  
"What?" I asked, dropping down to my knees in front of her.  
  
"You were the girl who kept trying to talk to me. Our parents died together." She whispered. Behind me, I heard Rei and Ami gasp.  
  
"You kept looking out of the window. You weren't eating anything. When I left, you still wouldn't say good bye." I said, almost as if in a trance. Memories of my stay in the orphanage flooded my mind.   
  
"You left. I felt so alone. No one talked to me but you. Even when I wouldn't talk back, you still cared enough to talk to me." Makoto replied, tears flowing freely down her face. "Two weeks later, Mamoru came and talked to me like you did. But I talked back. I didn't want him to leave me too."  
  
"Oh, Makoto!" I cried out and threw my arms around my friend and held her close. Tears were flooding from both of our eyes. In the background, I heard Ami and Rei sniffling as well.  
  
We stayed that way for a few minutes, until the buzzer on the stove sounded, shocking us all out of our trance.  
  
"The cookies are done." Makoto said, wiping the tears from her eyes. I nodded my head and we both stood. Makoto removed the cookies from the oven and I helped her bring the two batches to the table. Rei and Ami joined us at the table. The rest of the night we spent reminiscing about our families, tough times, the good times, and life in general.  
  
The next morning, Rei, Ami, and I decided that it was time to see what Makoto could do as a senshi. With a bright and colorful light show, we all stood in our senshi forms in what had been dubbed "the training grounds." Really, it was the hill behind the shrine. Applause broke out from Grandfather and Shingo, who were sitting in lawn chairs on the side of the training grounds. Beside him, Phobos and Deimos were perched on a small tree and Luna was sitting at the base of the tree.  
  
"Okay, lets start simple." I began. Somehow, I had taken on the role as a leader of the senshi. There was no vote, no display of power, or any word from Luna. Just one day, we needed to decide on a plan of action, and I provided it. From then on, I've been the leader.  
  
"Yes O'wise and powerful leader." Rei snickered. I never said that I wanted the position either. Especially with Rei always on my back.  
  
"Rei against Ami and me against Makoto." Everyone nodded their heads in agreement as we split into groups. However, what started as simple sparring, turned into an all out battle of powers. From the sideline, I occasionally heard clapping, oh's and ah's, as well as shouts of "watch out!" I loved my family, but they seemed to think this was more of a movie than real life.  
  
Makoto was strong and learned how to use her powers well. In fact, I was about ready to collapse from exhaustion when Ami came to my aid.  
  
"Shabon Spray!"  
  
"Well, guess that ends today's practice." I said with a sigh of relief.   
  
"Sorry guys." Ami shouted out from somewhere in the dense fog she had created.  
  
"It's okay Ami. Everyone meet back at the shrine." I said as I began to feel my way around. Ami may have had her visor, but the rest of us were blind.   
  
I finally made it to the shrine steps, only to find everyone else had beaten me. I gave a quick sigh and sat down next to the other girls.   
  
"Ami, you need to make us special glasses or something to see through that fog of yours." I said with a laugh. Knowing Ami, she would take that suggestion to heart.  
  
"Oh! Speaking of making..." Ami said as she ran off into the shrine. Rei looked at me questioningly, but I had no more clue that her. A moment later, Ami returned with her bag.  
  
"I made these for everyone. Since not all of us can communicate telepathically..." She said as she handed us each something that resembled a watch. "They are communicators. Just push the white button and you can call everyone. Push the blue for me, red for Rei, green for Makoto, gold is for Minako when she gets back, and silver is for Usagi. They work very easy and the picture and sound is very clear."  
  
"Why is mine silver?" I asked. My senshi fuku was red and blue. Silver just didn't fit.  
  
"I don't know. It just came to me. Beside, red and blue were taken." Ami said with a shrug of her shoulders.  
  
"You could have made it pink." I said with a huff, causing everyone to laugh, myself included. The girls all knew of my disgust of the color pink.  
  
*~*  
  
Ami was right, the communicators did work well. Unfortunately, we got to test them out not two days later. A youma appeared in the park, big surprise, and was terrorizing people. This particular beast didn't seem content just to suck out the energy, but also to chase and "play" with the victims.  
  
"Hey! Ugly! Wanna play with me?!" Makoto yelled as she entered the park. The ugly green...thing seemed to snarl in happiness. It ran over to where Sailor Jupiter had been standing, only to see her disappear. Makoto had used her quick speed and agility to jump out of the way, leaving the creature confused.  
  
"Fire Soul!" Sailor Mars yelled out, singing the youma's skin. It screamed out in pain and began to charge at Rei. She gave a quick yelp and ran away, leading the beast to me.  
  
"Moon Tiara Action!" I shouted and threw my tiara at the creature. It hit dead center and fell over unconscious. I ran to help Rei, who had tripped on a tree root on her run.  
  
"Mars, are you okay?" I asked. She was about to respond when her eyes went wide.  
  
"Sailor Moon! Look out!" A familiar voice screamed out. I turned around to find the beast charging up an attack towards Rei and I. As the power released from it's hands, I grabbed Rei and rolled us out of the way.  
  
Quickly getting back to my feet, I fired my tiara again. Unfortunately, I missed center and only removed an arm. The creature was weakening, but still to powerful for me to take out.  
  
"Supreme Thunder!" Sailor Jupiter shouted out.  
  
"Sailor Moon! Shoot for his neck. That is his weak point." Sailor Mercury shouted out from behind her mini computer.  
  
"Moon Tiara Action!" I yelled once more. This time, the tiara hit its target and destroyed the youma.  
  
"Moon dust!" I shouted in happiness. Then I looked to my teammates. "Who yelled for me to watch out?" I asked. The other senshi shrugged their shoulders. The question then was, "If not you guys, who?"   
  
Which was answered by Rei pointing. "Look." She simply said. All eyes turned to a person running away from the park. Three features were immediately recognizable, short blonde hair, a cape, and a mask.  
  
*~*  
  
(AN: Wouldn't you hate me if I ended it there? Well, I don't want you to hate me.)  
  
*~*  
  
Three weeks. It was a terrible time to wait. Three weeks. Three weeks of pacing, worrying, and completely distressing. Three weeks. Why in the world did we have to wait three weeks to get the results of our entrance exams? After all, a teacher can grade a whole class's tests in one day. What could possibly take a machine so long to grade our exams?  
  
"Okay class. I have in my hands the results of the entrance exams." The sensei said with a smile on his face. "Of course, I am supposed to tell you that you are not allowed to open these envelopes. They are for your parents' eyes only. However, I will turn my back for five minutes to write today's lesson on the blackboard and not see anything that happens behind my back."  
  
The entire class laughed at our sensei's wonderful sense of humor. Throughout the school, he was the only teacher that seemed to know what it meant to be a kid. He passed out the envelopes and, as promised, began to write on the blackboard.  
  
I stared at my envelope for a moment. I was petrified to open it. However, next to me, I could hear Ami open hers.   
  
"How'd you do Ami?" I asked, momentarily setting aside my fears and my envelope.  
  
"Perfect score." She beamed. Of course, most of us expected the girl genius to get such a grade.  
  
"Okay Usagi. You and I can open ours together." Makoto suggested. She seemed to be feeling the same as me, very, very nervous.  
  
"One..."  
  
"Two..."  
  
"Three!"  
  
*rrrrrrriiiiiiiiiippppppppeeeeeeeeee*  
  
We tore open our letters. However, it didn't take much to focus on to the most important words... "May progress to the next level."  
  
A quick look to Makoto showed that she also passed. Her eyes lit up as she looked into mine. Without a second thought, we both jumped out of our seats and began to chant.   
  
"We passed. We passed! WE PASSED!!!"   
  
"Excuse me girls." Our sensei said from the front of the room. "I'm glad to know that you are excited about the information you received in your letters that you are not suppose to open. But, perhaps we could quiet down a little?"   
  
I smiled at my sensei and sat back down. Too excited to do anything else, I let Rei know the good news. She laughed at my excitement, but congratulated me on my success.  
  
*~*  
  
I arrived home in a great mood that day. I had passed my exams, school was out in two weeks, there had been no youma in a week, and it was Shingo's turn for chores. I bounced up the stairs of the shrine to find Rei waiting for me.  
  
"Hey Rei, what's up?" I asked as soon as I noticed the expression on her face.  
  
'Usagi, the man from the bank is here again.' She told me with an even voice.  
  
'Why?' I asked with as much strength as I could muster. I really didn't want to see my good day ruined by terrible news.  
  
'I'm not sure. Grandfather is blocking his thoughts from me.' Rei answered with an audible sigh.  
  
I looked towards the door to the shrine and wondered what was going on inside. Unable to stop myself, I walked closer to the building. As if pulled by some unknown source, I found myself outside of the room that Grandfather was in with the man from the bank.  
  
The door opened, slightly shocking me. There stood Grandfather with a soft smile on his face.  
  
"Usagi, please come in. Mr. Smith (AN: I know, pathetic. But, I didn't feel like trying to make up a name for him.) from the bank is here." Grandfather said as he put an arm around my shoulder to bring me into the room.  
  
"Hello Usagi." Mr. Smith said as he stuck out his hand for me to shake.  
  
"Hello." I managed to weakly reply.  
  
"Well, Usagi, I was just telling your grandfather that everything has been cleared down at the bank. The investigation has been concluded. They were unable to connect the money to any criminal activities." Mr. Smith said as he closed up his briefcase.  
  
"Really?" I asked stunned. After two years, this was it? Everything's okay, see you later??  
  
"Yes. Your money is back in the bank and trust fund." Mr. Smith said with a smile. "It has been a pleasure meeting you both." Mr. Smith said as he shook Grandfather's hand. "I'm sure you have a lot to talk about. I'll just let myself out."  
  
After Mr. Smith had left, I turned to stare at Grandfather. He simply smiled his all-knowing smile. Without letting another moment pass, I leapt into his arms.  
  
"See Usagi, I told you that everything would be okay."   
  
"Oh, Grandfather, I know. I just was so scared of the dishonor on my dead relatives." I said with a sigh.   
  
"But we do have some things to discuss." Grandfather said with a tone that meant that we had to be serious for a moment. "Rei, please come in."   
  
Rei, who had evidently been standing right outside the door, entered. We all sat around a small table in the little lounge area.  
  
"Usagi, you have a decision you must make." Grandfather started. I nodded, but really had no idea what he was talking about. "You now have the funds to begin attending TA again. You could once again go to school with Rei. Or...you can remain in the Juban public school system."  
  
I suddenly realize the weight of the decision that I was about to be forced to make. Do I return to TA and classes with Rei or stay with Ami and Makoto at Juban? Both schools were equally successful and had wonderful reputations with universities. Money was no longer an issue and couldn't base it on anything simple, like location.  
  
"Grandfather, I don't know. I would really like to be back at school with Rei," I said as I smiled at Rei, "But I don't want to leave my new friends."  
  
"I understand." He replied with his voice of knowledge and caring. I hated that voice. It never lent me any guidance.  
  
"Rei, what do you think?" I asked, knowing that I didn't want to hurt her.  
  
"Usagi, it's up to you. You have been going to Juban for two years and seem very happy there." She answered in a not so helpful manner. Why was everyone making me make such a big decision?  
  
"Grandfather, can I answer tomorrow?" I asked. I needed more time before I could decide.  
  
"Yes. But I need to know soon, so that you can be registered." He responded. Then he and Rei left me to contemplate my choice.  
  
I spent most of the time that night and the next morning trying to decide what to do. When I first switched to Juban, I was very upset. But in the end, the only thing that I left at TA was Rei. I could do without the bossy nuns, the lack of boys, and people who didn't like me because I was an orphan. At Juban, I had friends, two especially wonderful friends, nice teachers, and boys on the campus that were easy on the eyes.  
  
"Grandfather, I have made my choice." I said at dinner. I had promise to make a decision and I had. "I'm sorry Rei. I want to stay at Juban."  
  
"Usagi, are you certain?" Grandfather asked. I hated when he made me doubt my decisions.  
  
"Yes." I answered with a tone of certainty in my voice.  
  
"Okay. Then Rei, you may go register on Monday to go to Juban High School." Grandfather told Rei. I immediately looked up to my Grandfather's smiling eyes. I then turned to look at Rei, who had the same look in her eyes.  
  
"What?" I asked, feeling very left out.  
  
"Grandfather told me that I could go to Juban next year and be with you." Rei answered with a large smile.  
  
"You're going to Juban next year?"   
  
Rei nodded her head.  
  
"You're going to Juban next year, with me?"  
  
Rei nodded her head again.  
  
"AGGHHHH!" I screamed and jumped out of my chair. Rei did the same and we began to dance around the kitchen in circles.  
  
Grandfather let out a loud sigh and turned to Shingo, who had been sitting quietly at the table.   
  
"Girls. Sheesh."  
  
"But Rei...you didn't take the entrance exams. You need to pass those to get into Juban and the exams are over for the year!" I shouted quickly, making everyone in the room cover their ears.  
  
Rei simply smiled at me. "Silly Usa, I know that. That's why I took the exams three weeks ago." Rei said holding up a letter that she had pulled from her pocket. "I left after you left and got home before you. It was a surprise!"  
  
"I'll give you a surprise!" I yelled and began to chase after my dearest friend and cousin. Shingo soon joined in the chase, leaving Grandfather shaking his head.  
  
"Kids! Sheesh!"  
  
*~*  
  
"Youma, in the park." Ami informed me by the wrist communicators. It appeared that she and Makoto had been walking through the park when a large, blue, fuzzy monster appeared.  
  
"Be there in a bit." I said and shut off the communicator. I quickly alerted Rei to the situation and she met me at the back steps. We quickly transformed and took off to the battle scene.  
  
"Shabon Spray!"  
  
"Supreme Thunder!"  
  
Rei and I could her the shouts and feel the power in the air as we approached the battle.  
  
"You know, they really ought to shut down this park." I told Rei as we got into fighting stances.  
  
"I agree. The money they must put into restoring this place could easily care for three parks." Rei said with a snicker.  
  
"Moon Tiara Action!" I shouted as my tiara released from my hand. "And I'm sure that they could easily put up a nice building here." I laughed.  
  
"Fire Soul!!" Rei shouted. "Really. Or maybe a couple of houses."  
  
"Okay girls. Enough joking. This guy's mean." Makoto shouted out from her position towards the right of the monster.  
  
"Alright." I sighed. "Sailor Mercury, find a weak spot, I'll cover for you."  
  
"You won't find a weak spot on this youma." A voice said with an evil chuckle from above. I looked up to see a man with short blonde hair hovering above me.  
  
"Oh yeah! Says who?" Rei yelled at the floating man.  
  
"General Jadeite. Fourth General under Queen Beryl." He said with a sense of pride. Myself, I found him quite disturbing. "The Queen is tired of you senshi getting in the way of her plans. I'm here to stop you."   
  
"Doubt it. Moon Tiara Action!" I shouted, only to have the man blink out of sight. He then reappeared behind Ami.  
  
"Mercury! Behind you!" Rei shouted. Ami quickly turned and fired off her bubbles, causing fog to cover the landscape. She dropped her visor over her eyes and began to give everyone directions.  
  
"Sailor Jupiter, the youma is five paces to your right. Sailor Moon, fire straight ahead. Mars two steps to the left. If you all fire at the same time, you have a chance."  
  
"Moon Tiara Action!"   
  
"Supreme Thunder!"  
  
"Fire Soul!"  
  
A loud scream filled the air. As the fog lifted, we could see that the youma was injured and lying on the ground. Along with a lot of burns, a rose was imbedded in the beasts back. We fired one more round at the creature at the same time, effectively destroying the youma.  
  
"Sailor Moon! Watch out!" Too voices shouted at me. I jumped from my spot, not even looking to see what I was avoiding. I looked back to where I was standing to find a four- foot crater. Above it, Jadeite was hovering.  
  
"So much for a lack of weak spot, eh Jadeite." I mocked the obviously upset General. He sent another attack towards me. Before I had a chance to jump, someone grabbed me from behind and jumped.   
  
"Fire Soul!"   
  
"Supreme Thunder!"  
  
The two attacks rushed through the air and headed straight towards the general. He blinked out of sight again. However, when he came back, he was holding his arm. Apparently he hadn't been as fast as before.  
  
"Sailor Moon, do you have the moon stick yet?" A very masculine voice asked from behind me. I turned to find my savior, a dark haired man with a mask. He also wore a tuxedo with a black cape and top hat. A quick check of his thoughts gave away the name Tuxedo Kamen, but everything else was blocked.  
  
"No." I answered. What was a moon stick?  
  
"Too bad. Try firing off another attack while he is distracted by your friends."   
  
I nodded my head in agreement and fired up my attack. Jadeite didn't hear it coming and was hit square in the back. It didn't kill him, but did appear to cause some damage.  
  
"Damn you!" He screamed and disappeared. I quickly ran over to the other girls, who were staring behind me at the masked man.  
  
"Who are you?" Rei shouted.  
  
"A friend." Tuxedo Kamen answered simply. He then turned and took off, jumping from rooftop to rooftop.  
  
"Well, that was interesting." Makoto replied. Ami was quickly entering all the information she had just learned into her computer. She was done in seconds, her hand moving quickly over the keypad.  
  
"How do you type so fast?" Makoto asked Ami with a laugh. Ami just rolled her eyes. Ever since Makoto tried to "steal" the mini-computer, she had wanted to find out more about it.  
  
"Alright, guess we can go home now." I said and transformed back to normal. Rei, Ami, and Makoto quickly followed my lead.   
  
Suddenly, I heard a sound of leaves rustling in a nearby tree. A moment later, a body fell from it. It was the person who had been at the battle the other day, the blonde with the cape and mask.  
  
"Odango?" The person asked, moving closer to us. "Ko-neko, is that really you?"  
  
I knew those names. One person had only ever called me those names.  
  
"Haruka?"  
  
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*  
  
Mwhahahahaha! I feel evil! That was quite fun to write. Hope you enjoyed it as much as I did.  
  
ChibiJ77@yahoo.com 


	10. Chapter Nine

When I Was A Little Girl  
  
Chapter 9  
  
By: Chibi J  
  
Rated: G  
  
Standard Disclaimers.  
  
This is dedicated to all my friends at AI. I love all you pep squanders and pep squaders in training. Also, as always, big thanks to Ssista for her wonderful editing skills!  
  
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*  
  
"Haruka? Is that really you?" I asked, knowing that she was the only person who ever called me odango or ko-neko.   
  
"Hai, it's me." She said as she removed her mask. Her short blonde hair fluttered in the wind that was blowing around us. She was dressed in all white with a white cape billowing behind her.  
  
"What are you doing here?" Rei asked in a tone of astonishment. At the same time, I could tell that she had tried to probe the girl's mind, but with no result.  
  
"First, stop doing that. Then I'll try to explain." Haruka said with a smug smile.  
  
"Stop doing what?" Ami asked, unsure what was being done.  
  
"She's trying to probe my mind." Haruka smiled at the astonished looks she received from everyone, myself included. "It kind of tickles."  
  
"Haruka, how do you know she was doing that?" I asked, barely above a whisper.  
  
"I can't read minds, if that's what you are wondering. But I can feel it. I felt it the first time we met. It tickles at the back of my mind." Haruka answered.  
  
"How can you be certain that it's from Rei though?" Ami asked, again entering information into her mini-computer.  
  
"Well, besides the fact that it has only ever happened around you two, that gives a little clue. Second, I just tend to know these things. I've never had to wonder about things, the answer is usually in my brain, just waiting for the right time to come out." Haruka told us.  
  
"Sounds a little like Ami." Makoto mumbled just under her breath, however, we all heard her.  
  
"I don't believe we have met." Haruka spoke as she walked towards Makoto. "My name is Tenoh Haruka. And you are?" She asked, putting her hand out in front of her.  
  
"Makoto. Kino Makoto. I just started going to school with the girls last month." She answered.  
  
"You're very pretty. And tall. I like that." Haruka said with a smile that caused Makoto to blush profusely. I gave a small chuckle at the situation, knowing now what I looked like when Haruka had pulled a similar line on me.  
  
"Um, Haruka," Rei began, trying to refrain from laughing out loud, "Perhaps you could now tell us what you were doing here."   
  
"Oh, I suppose so. I just, well, it's just that I like a good fight. Always have." Haruka began to explain. She removed her cape and took off her white shirt to reveal a blue tank top underneath. She walked over to a backpack that had been resting by a tree and stuffed her white attire into it.  
  
"Yes, but you could always find a good fight in a safer location." Ami suggested.   
  
Haruka smiled at the petite girl. "Yes, Ami, I suppose I could, but that's not the point. Something inside tells me that I need to help you girls. Don't ask why, I don't have that answer yet."  
  
"Well, I appreciate it." I said with a smile. "If you hadn't of yelled for me to watch out, I might not be here now."  
  
"Not a problem, but I'm sure the guy in the tux wouldn't have let anything happen to you." Haruka replied with a smile. "Any idea who he was?"  
  
"His name is Tuxedo Kamen." I replied. "That's all I got from him."  
  
"Well," Ami interrupted as she closed her mini-computer, "Perhaps we should take Haruka to meet Luna. Maybe she will have some answers for us."  
  
~*~  
  
"She's not a senshi."  
  
"What?!" Five stunned voices shouted in unison.  
  
"I said...she's not a senshi. I'm sorry Haruka." Luna said sorrowfully.   
  
"Luna, there must be some mistake." I pleaded with the feline.  
  
"I'm sorry Usagi. I will admit, she has powers very much like that of a senshi, but we have already found the five senshi. Remember, Venus." Luna replied.  
  
"But there are more planets than just Mercury, Venus, Earth, Mars, and Jupiter." Makoto said.  
  
"Yes, but I only have henshin wands for the Inner Senshi, the first planets of the solar system. If she is a senshi for the outer planets, then she must find the one that holds her henshin wand." Luna instructed us.  
  
"I understand." Haruka said with a small smile. "Perhaps I am only meant to help from the sidelines." She said with a sigh.  
  
"Haruka..." I started. I felt the need to comfort the girl, but didn't know what to say.  
  
"No, really, Ko-neko. I'll be alright." She said with a smile in my direction. Unfortunately, her emotions were pouring off of her and I could feel her sadness.  
  
"Okay. Haruka, you will help us as you have. We will all be grateful for another pair of eyes on our backs." Rei said with a large smile. Everyone nodded their heads in agreement and Haruka accepted.  
  
"Now, we have other matters to discuss." Ami jumped in, her mini-computer open and ready to go. "First, who is Tuxedo Kamen? Second, who was Jadeite?"  
  
The group looked around at each other, as if expecting someone to suddenly gain all the information to the questions. No one, of course, jumped forward with any information.  
  
"So far," Ami finally began. "We know that Jadeite is a general for the Dark Moon. He has attempted to create a more powerful youma that would destroy us. However, he failed and we sent him back home with multiple injuries."  
  
Everyone nodded their agreement. There didn't seem to be too much more than what Ami had supplied.   
  
"Tuxedo Kamen. Usagi said that he had no other thoughts on his mind but his name. He wore a black tuxedo, top hat, and cape. He was also wearing a white mask. Haruka, do you know him?" Ami asked.  
  
"No. Nothing other than we both like capes and masks." Haruka joked, giving everyone a chance to laugh.  
  
"Well, without anything more..." Ami began, but was cut off.  
  
"I may know him." Makoto said quietly.  
  
"What? Who is he?" I asked immediately. The man saved my life; I at least owed him my thanks.  
  
"I can't say for sure. But I am pretty sure that I know who he is." Makoto said as she played with her fingers in her lap. "However, I can't tell you yet."  
  
"Why not?" Luna asked, slightly upset that Makoto was withholding information.  
  
"Well, like I said, I'm not sure. Plus, he doesn't know who he is. When I am certain, and he knows who he is himself, then I will tell you." Makoto replied, still not willing to meet anyone's eyes.  
  
"That sounds fair Makoto." I said. "We won't pressure you anymore, unless it is an emergency."  
  
Makoto looked up and smiled at me in appreciation. As much as I wanted to know who Tuxedo Kamen was, I didn't want to pressure Makoto into telling. She had already shared many of her life secrets with us.   
  
"Well then," Ami began, "We really don't have much more to discuss as far as senshi business goes."  
  
"Good!" Rei and I shouted in unison, causing the group to began laughing again.   
  
'Arcade?' I asked Rei.  
  
'Race?' Rei asked back.  
  
I nodded my head and Rei and I got up and began running down the steps, leaving everyone else at the temple not only unsure of where we were going, but why we were going so fast.  
  
~*~  
  
"Schools out for summer! Bum ba ba ba bum. Schools out for summer! Bum ba ba ba bum. Schools out for summer!"  
  
"Usagi, don't you know any other verses?" Ami asked in a pleading voice.  
  
"Um, no. Sorry. Schools out for summer!" I continued singing. I saw Ami roll her eyes and I gave a slight laugh. "Gomen Ami, I'll stop."  
  
"Thank Kami-sama!" Makoto pleaded to the heavens. "Gomen Usa, but your singing, well it's not really the singing. It's more the lack of lyrics." Makoto laughed. I couldn't help but to join in. Soon, Ami was laughing along with both of us as we made our way up the shrine steps.  
  
"REI!!" I yelled at the top of my lungs as I skipped up the last couple of stairs. Ami and Makoto, although getting used to the steps, were still only about half way up. "Where are you?!"  
  
"Usagi! Stop yelling!" Rei yelled at me as she came out from around the corner of the shrine with a rake in her hand.  
  
"Rei!" I yelled again and began to run to her. As soon as I was close enough I jumped into my cousin's arms. "Schools out." Unfortunately, Rei wasn't strong enough to hold me for long and soon we both toppled to the ground.  
  
"Geez, I guess you're excited Odango." Haruka said as she stepped up the shrine steps along with Ami and Makoto. Evidently she had come to visit and quickly caught up with the two girls I had left behind.  
  
"Haruka!" I quickly jumped to my feet and ran at Haruka. Being both taller and stronger than Rei, Haruka easily picked me up and spun me around. She placed me back on my feet and patted me on my head.  
  
"Are we just a little excited by summer vacation?" Haruka asked with a sarcastic grin.   
  
"I'm just so excited! Nothing could bring me down!" I continued yelling and skipping around the small courtyard in front of the shrine.  
  
"Nothing?" Haruka asked with a smile. "Not even a thunderstorm?"  
  
"Nope." I replied. A small beeping sounded from Ami's mini-computer and she opened it.   
  
"Not even an earthquake?" Makoto asked.  
  
"Nope." I answered, as Ami continued to fiddle around with her computer. She must be checking for an appointment or something.  
  
"Not even a shortage of ice-cream in the world?" Rei asked, knowing my weak points. But I got her.  
  
"Nope."  
  
"Not even a youma attack?" Ami asked.  
  
"Nope, not even a you...a youma attack. Ami, please tell me that's not why your computer is beeping." I pleaded.  
  
"Unfortunately, yes. Youma attack. Guess where?" Ami said. We all groaned and began to walk down the stairs.   
  
"The park." We all replied in unison, even Haruka, who had been filled in on all of our battles from the beginning.   
  
"My, how did you guess?" Ami replied sarcastically.  
  
We entered the park but saw that no one was around. No people, youma, evil general, nothing. Still not transformed, we began to walk around. Ami began to scan on her mini-computer.  
  
"Nothing. All scans say that it was right here." Ami informed us all.  
  
"And he was right there." A voice echoed from all around us. "And now I am right here." Jadeite appeared and gave us an evil smile. "And now I know who the Sailor Senshi are."  
  
"Well, no keeping secrets for any longer." Makoto said as she transformed into Sailor Jupiter.  
  
"I suppose not." I replied and transformed. The rest of the girls followed suit, except for Haruka, who chose to forget the costume and stay in her street clothes.  
  
And the battle began. Haruka, as promised, stayed on the sidelines, simply yelling warnings for us. A couple of attacks were aimed in her direction, but she was able to dodge them effortlessly. Jadeite seemed to be weakening under our constant attacks, though only one out of every four probably hit him. But with nothing else to attack, we were able to concentrate on him.  
  
Unfortunately, he soon realized that.  
  
"Odori! Come forth!" He shouted. Suddenly a youma dressed in a tutu came from nowhere. "Odori (AN: translates to dance) take care of these senshi." Jadeite ordered.  
  
"Come dance with me." The youma said in a voice that sounded almost child-like. She shot off several blue disks, but we were able to dodge them all. I continued to attack Jadeite, along with Makoto. Rei and Ami were concentrating on the youma.  
  
"Sailor Moon! Watch out!" Haruka yelled. But before I could dodge the attack, I was hit from behind by one of the blue disks. I lost control of my body and began dancing around like a chicken with my head cut off.  
  
"Help me!" I yelled as my arms began flapping around at my side. "Oh Shimatta! Rei!" I yelled to gain her attention. "Rei! I don't have control over my arms!"  
  
Rei looked at me and I could see understanding and fear flash across her face. (AN: did everyone forget that Usa has telekinetic powers? I did, but now that I remember, they're back!) "Quick, everyone. Get down!" Rei yelled as she dropped her body to the ground.   
  
Ami, Makoto, and Haruka followed her directions, although they didn't understand what they were doing.   
  
"What's going on?" Ami asked, fear filling her voice.  
  
"You'll see soon enough." Rei answered with a slight groan.   
  
She was correct. No sooner did she say those words then I started to lift items off the ground. First was a park bench, then a bike, a trashcan and small cooking grill soon joined. The objects were spinning around in the air as my body continued to dance out of control.  
  
Jadeite watched in humor, at first, as I was stuck in this position. But as he had to duck under the trashcan twice, his humor began to fade. Upon his third time ducking under the trashcan, he didn't see the grill come up behind him and hit him in the head.  
  
"Odori! Stop this!" He yelled at the youma in a very irate voice.  
  
"I can't!" Odori yelled as she continued to flee from the park bench that was flying behind her.   
  
Still dropped down on the ground, Rei and Makoto fired off a shot at the youma. Their timing caught her off guard and she shriveled to dust. The spell was released and I was finally able to stop moving. So were the objects around me.  
  
Jadeite, who had finally escaped the trashcan, was knocked down to the ground by the bike as it fell from the air. He began to get up and try to walk, but he was swaying badly. I readied my tiara in my hand, but felt guilty hitting the man unawares.   
  
He suddenly stopped stumbling and turned around to face me. The other girls were at my side and witnessed the madness in his eyes. In his hands, he held a ball of energy, just waiting to be thrown. Knowing that I was the target, I braced myself for impact.  
  
"CRESANT BEAM!"  
  
A gold beam of energy shot out from behind Jadeite and pierced him in his back. The ball of energy he was holding backfired on him. Burned and bruised, he continued to stand his ground.  
  
"I will not be defeated!" He yelled out in a voice that was terribly inhuman. He tried to fire an attack in our direction again. This time, however, we were ready.  
  
"MOON TIARA ACTION!"  
  
"SHABON SPRAY!"  
  
"FIRE SOUL!"  
  
"SUPREME THUNDER!"  
  
"CRESENT BEAM!"  
  
The attacks hit simultaneously at Jadeite and he crumpled under the power. The air began to crackle with energy and then clouded. When we ceased our attacks and the air cleared, there was nothing left of Jadeite except a burn mark on the ground and a stone with a rose embedded in the middle.   
  
My energy completely drained, I fell to my knees. My transformation melted away from me as tears welled up in my eyes as I looked at the spot where Jadeite had been. He had not been of this world, yet I felt immensely guilty for his death.  
  
"Usa." Rei began as she put a hand on my shoulder. "It had to be done." I nodded my head in understanding and wiped the tears from my eyes.  
  
I stood and walked over to the stone and the rose. I knelt down and said a small prayer in my heart for the man. I picked up the stone and removed the rose from it. The slight crack that had formed from the rose healed itself. I pocketed the stone and stared at the rose.  
  
"Tuxedo Kamen?" I whispered. Looking around, I couldn't see him anywhere. "Tuxedo Kamen!" I yelled out, startling my friends. I still saw nothing, but the rose proved that he had been there. I twirled the perfect red rose in my hand. It's thorn-less stem led down to a dangerously sharp steel tip.  
  
"He's gone." I whispered to myself. Then with sudden realization, I looked up to meet a pair of blue eyes with a head of blonde hair.  
  
"Usagi?" The girl standing in front of me asked. I immediately recognized the voice.  
  
"Minako?" The girl nodded her head. Wasting no time, I dove into her arms and gave her a big hug. She hugged me back and when we separated, Rei was standing next to me and took her turn to hug Minako.  
  
"Girls, this is Minako!" I began with a giddy voice. "This is Sailor Venus!"   
  
Recognition dawned on everyone's face and introductions began. However, my moment of joy was short lived as I looked past Minako to see the spot where Jadeite had his last stand.  
  
"I'm ready to go home." I said to the girls who were all standing around me.  
  
"Let's go." Rei said with a soft voice, understanding the thoughts running through my mind. She put her arm around my shoulders and led me away from the scene of Jadeite's demise.  
  
~*~  
  
"Haruka! You are so cool!" Minako squealed as Haruka sped into a parking spot.  
  
"Oh Lord, that'll go right to her head." Rei groaned quietly to me, yet loud enough for Shingo and Ami to hear and let out a light chuckle.  
  
"No problem Minako." Haruka said with a slightly seductive smile. Minako blushed slightly, something that Haruka seemed able to make us all do easily. "Special delivery to the beach, just as promised."  
  
"Yes, but I know of safer ways to get here." Ami groaned as she finally let her grip on the door loosen. Haruka turned in her seat and stuck her tongue out at Ami.  
  
Minako was up out of her seat before Haruka even had a chance to put the car into park. Rei, Shingo, and I slipped out of the backseat while Ami waited to make sure that Haruka wouldn't quickly take off again.  
  
"I'm sorry Ami, next time I'll slow down a little for you." Haruka said with a smile as she helped Ami out of the backseat.  
  
"Great. That will put you only 40 miles over the speed limit." Ami replied with sarcasm.  
  
Rei and I removed all of our beach gear out of the trunk of the car while Shingo ran off after Minako. By the time Rei and I had made it to the sand, Minako and Shingo had already run into the water, their clothes and shoes marking the path they took to the water.  
  
"When's Makoto getting here?" Ami asked as she and Haruka approached Rei and I.  
  
"She said that she would be here around noon. It's eleven thirty now." I told Ami, realizing then that I didn't even know how she was getting there.  
  
"She said that Mamoru would be bringing her." Rei answered my thoughts. She gave me a slight smile as she set up her umbrella and chair. Just then, a very wet Minako and Shingo ran up to us.  
  
"Usa, you got to come in!" Minako exclaimed with a bright smile.   
  
Minako had surprised us all when she showed up unannounced. Evidently, her mother was tired of living in England. Much like her daughter, Aino Kiko was a very social woman and many of the people that she approached treated her as if she was dirt just because she was a foreigner. So, although her father still had one year left at his job in England, mother and daughter returned to Japan.  
  
Ironically, Minako had been on her way over to the temple when she saw a group of girls go running past. Curiosity took over her senses and she ran after the girls who happened to be the Sailor Senshi. Her intuition told her that she should wait to see if she was needed. After all, the general didn't know that Sailor Venus existed.  
  
"I'm coming." I smiled. Minako was exuberant, as she had always sounded on the phone. We were all a little startled to see that she looked so much like me, except for the way she wore her hair, but the similarities didn't end there. Her bubbly personality was a match to mine and we had many of the same interests.  
  
"I'm going to go swimming with the twins too. Anyone else coming?" Haruka asked. She had quickly dubbed Minako and I the twins. Of course, I was still her odango or ko-neko, but she set those names aside when Minako was around.  
  
"I'm going to do a little reading. I'll join you later." Ami said, perching her glasses on her nose.  
  
"I'll stay here with Ami. I just want to lay out for a while." Rei said as she put on her sunglasses.   
  
"Fine, come in when you're ready." Minako shouted as she ran back towards the water with Shingo in tow.  
  
"It's seems that your little brother has a slight crush." Haruka said with a laugh as we walked slowly towards the water.  
  
"It seems so." I gave a slight smile. Haruka stared at me as my smile turned sinister.  
  
"Usagi? What are you thinking?" Haruka asked with a slightly scared tone to her voice.  
  
"Oh, nothing terrible." I replied. "Just a little psychological pay back." I grinned.  
  
'Shingo and Minako sitting in a tree.' I started singing in my head. My message was obviously received as Shingo stopped dead in his tracks and glared at me. 'K-I-S-S-I-N-G.' His face began to turn bright red. Although he knew that Minako and Haruka weren't hearing her, he was still embarrassed. 'First comes love. Then comes marriage.'   
  
By this point, Haruka and I had made it to where Shingo and Minako were standing in the water. I gave the red boy a big grin.  
  
"Then comes the baby in the baby carriage." I said with a laugh. However, my laughter died short as my baby brother lunged at me.  
  
"Die Usa!" Shingo shouted as he tried to dunk me under the water. Through my struggles, I could hear Minako and Haruka.  
  
"Do you ever feel like you missed something?" Minako asked Haruka.  
  
"Always." Haruka responded with a laugh.  
  
Sometime later, after Shingo felt that he had sought his revenge, we began to enjoy the water. Minako and I teamed up against Haruka and Shingo in a chicken fight, that we lost badly. We continued to splash around and have a wonderful time, until Rei began to talk to me telepathically.  
  
'Usa, Makoto is here.' She informed me. In all of our fun, we had wandered in the water quite a ways from our beach site.  
  
'Okay. We'll be there shortly.' I responded and began to walk towards the shore.  
  
'You better bring a rag with you.' Rei snickered. My curiosity was peaked.  
  
'Why?'   
  
'To wipe up your drool, because her roommate is hot!' She exclaimed. Knowing that Rei wasn't usually one to drop compliments so easily, I was intrigued.  
  
'Be there soon.' "Come on guys! Makoto's here!" I yelled to the others in the water. Minako quickly joined me and we began to run to shore. As soon as our feet hit the beach, I challenged Minako to a race. She accepted and we took off.  
  
With our wet hair flying out behind us, Minako and I neared our beach site. I could see Makoto talking to Rei, but saw no sign of Chiba Mamoru. From everything that Makoto had told us, I really wanted to meet him. Not only was he now a senior at the high school that I was now a freshman, but he was said to be "cute" by Makoto and now "hot" by Rei.   
  
I still didn't see him, but I assumed that Rei and Makoto were blocking him from my vision. After all, I couldn't see Ami either. Suddenly, I realize that I was running full speed towards my cousin. My thoughts had distracted me too long and now I was going to run into her.  
  
"Rei!" I screamed. She turned and saw me coming. Her eyes flashed in terror, but she collected herself quickly and stepped out of the way. Unfortunately, that left me to run into the body standing behind her.  
  
"Ouch." I said in pain.  
  
"I agree." A masculine voice said from under me.  
  
"Good one odango." Haruka said as she approached the group that gathered around me and the person I was lying on top of.  
  
"Usagi! Are you okay?" Shingo asked in worry and tried to pull me off.  
  
"I'm fine." I said, as I used his help to stand. "Are you okay?" I asked looking down to the body I had crushed.  
  
"I'll live." The guy I squished replied. Getting a good look, I realize that this must be Chiba Mamoru. 'You were right Rei. He is hot!'  
  
Rei simply smiled at me with a look that said, "I told you so."  
  
"Well, Usagi, I guess I should introduce you." Makoto began as she gave a hand to her roommate to help him up. "Tsukino Usagi, this is my friend, Chiba Mamoru."  
  
I stuck out my hand to shake. He grabbed my hand into his and my eyes went suddenly blurry. Bright lights, like fireworks, shot out in front of my eyes. Then, it cleared. I was standing in a field at night. I was wearing a dress of all white that ran down to my feet. Around me, I saw nothing but an old field and a large tree. I began to walk toward the tree as I looked around. In the sky, I saw something that was not the moon. It was beautiful, blue and white swirls.   
  
I continued to walk towards the tree. In the shadows, I thought I saw a man leaning against the tree.  
  
"Usagi." The man at the tree said in a beautiful voice.   
  
He was wearing a suit of black and silver armor.  
  
"Usagi!" His voice was getting louder and slightly more feminine.  
  
"USAGI!!"   
  
I blinked my eyes. Suddenly, the field and the tree disappeared from my vision. They were replaced by the worried faces of Shingo and Rei.  
  
"What happened?" I asked, my voice barely auditable to my own ears.  
  
"You zoned out." Rei said out loud. 'You went into a trance.' She told me privately.  
  
"Are you okay Usa?" Ami said from where she was standing above me. "You passed out, but your eyes were still open." She informed me.  
  
"What?" I asked again, slightly regaining my voice.  
  
"I never knew that I could have that kind of an affect on a woman." I heard the masculine voice of Mamoru say with a laugh. Shaking his hand that had caused the vision.  
  
"Who are you?" I asked, looking directly at Mamoru.  
  
"Chiba Mamoru. Remember, we just met." He said, almost alarmed that someone didn't remember him.  
  
"I guess I'll accept that for now." I said as I sat up. He gave me a puzzled look. "I'm okay guys, go ahead and have fun." I insisted.  
  
Shingo hesitated for a moment, but a word from Minako requesting to go back into the water quickly pulled him away from me. Rei helped me stand and I watched as Haruka followed Shingo and Minako to the water.  
  
"Are you okay Usa?" Rei asked as she walked by my side, being certain that I didn't fall.  
  
"I'm fine Rei, just the sun I guess." I supplied as a weak excuse to those who were around us. I knew that she wanted more than that however. 'We'll talk later. Promise.'  
  
"Well then, I guess I'm going into the water. Are you coming Ami? Makoto?" She asked the two other girls.   
  
"Yes, I suppose." Ami replied, as if it would be torture to leave her book.   
  
"I'm game." Makoto replied with much more enthusiasm than Ami.   
  
I smiled at the girls as they took off down the beach towards the water. I decided that I needed to take a rest and sat on the beach chair that was sitting under the umbrella.  
  
"What did you mean?" Mamoru asked, as he sat in the chair next to the one I was sitting in.  
  
"What do you mean?" I asked, confused.  
  
"You said you would accept my name for now. What does that mean?" He asked with a look of confusion on his face.  
  
I looked up to him and my eyes met his. I could feel my self drowning in his deep blue eyes.  
  
"Usagi?" He asked, bringing me out of my light trance.  
  
"Sorry. I don't know, guess it was just an after effect from passing out." I answered, hoping that he would accept that.  
  
"I don't believe you." He said. Damn it! Why did everyone seem to know when I was lying?  
  
"Why don't you believe me?" I asked innocently.  
  
"Because I felt it too. I saw it too." Mamoru replied, shocking me to the core.  
  
"What do you mean?" I asked in a barely auditable voice.  
  
"You, in the white gown. I've seen it a million times. I, however, have gotten used to the flashes and can control my responses." He said with a proud voice.  
  
"A million times." I repeated to myself. "The prophesizing dreams that Makoto said she had. She said you had them too." I was talking to myself, not even realizing that Mamoru was still listening.  
  
"They used to only come in my sleep. But since the first time I saw you, they have become more frequent. Now, little things set off these visions." Mamoru told me in a quiet voice.  
  
"Me? Why me?" I asked. This whole thing was really beginning to freak me out and I really wished that one of the others were still here with us.  
  
"Because..." He began. I waited for him to continue. However, it seemed as if the words were caught on his tongue.  
  
"Because?" I questioned, hoping to encourage the words out of his mouth.  
  
"Because...because I...I love you." And he then passed out.  
  
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*  
  
Mwhahahahahaha! Oh, I feel just plain evil! That was sooo much fun! I got to make a really good cliffhanger!!! Well, I hope it's good. Let me know! ChibiJ77@yahoo.com  
  
I feel the need to remind you all that I am insane and evil. Ssista thought that our most beloved couple came together rather fast. Again, as I reminded her, things aren't always what they seem and I think you will all be surprised when chapter 10 comes out in about a week.   
  
Oh, lastly, REVIEW REVIEW REVIEW! How can I know if you like this if you don't tell me?? 


	11. Chapter Ten

When I Was A Little Girl  
  
Chapter 10  
  
By: Chibi J  
  
Rated: G  
  
Standard Disclaimers  
  
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*  
  
It's beautiful. Blue and white swirling. Flowers. I smell flowers.  
  
"Usagi."  
  
"Just five more minutes." The sun is so bright. The stars are shining beautifully.   
  
"Usagi."  
  
"Just a little longer." White. Elegant, beautiful white.  
  
"Usagi."  
  
"Luna, go away." Black. Deep black.  
  
"Who's Luna?"  
  
"My cat."  
  
"Why would your cat be calling your name?"  
  
"Because she's special."  
  
"Usagi, please wake up."  
  
"Fine." I opened my eyes to find a blurry face surrounded by black.  
  
"Are you up?"  
  
"Yes Rei." I said, trying to rub the remains of sleep from my eyes.  
  
"If I was a girl, I guess that could be a compliment."   
  
Confused, I pulled my hands from my eyes and blinked. Short black hair? That's not Rei.  
  
"Where am I?" I asked, still not regaining my full sense.  
  
"The beach. Remember?" The voice, now registering as very masculine, asked. Masculine?   
  
I turned quickly to my left, my vision suddenly clear. It was a guy! And a handsome one at that. Dark ebony hair, deep blue eyes, and tanned skin.   
  
"Who are you?" I asked, still feeling slightly sleepy and not very aware of myself.  
  
"Mamoru. Remember, I'm Makoto's friend." He said. Realization finally hit me and I sat up quickly. This, of course, caused me to become immediately dizzy.   
  
Grabbing my head to stop the dizziness, I looked at him. "Chiba Mamoru."  
  
"Yes." He said with a smile. "I'm glad you remember, I'd hate to think that a girl could forget me." He said with a laugh. However, I couldn't laugh back. My head was spinning slightly and I was still very confused.  
  
"What happened?" I asked as I looked around the beach to see my friends and brother playing in the waves of the water.  
  
"I don't know. I just woke up a minute ago." He said with a shrug of his shoulders. Not much of a comfort. I'm not usually one to just fall asleep in the middle of the day. At least, not on a very relaxing day that I wanted to spend in the water.  
  
"Weird. Must have been the heat." I suggested. He nodded his head in agreement.   
  
"Do you feel okay?" Mamoru asked with a slight tone of worry in his voice. It was nice to have him worry about me.  
  
"Yeah, I think so." I said as I lowered my hands from my head. The water looked very inviting and I wanted to run in the waves. "Want to go swimming?"  
  
"Sure." He said, rising from his chair. I stood up next to him and we walked to the water, only to be attacked by splashes from my brother, Rei, and Minako.  
  
"Hey! No fair!" I said as I ran into the water after my assaulters. The water felt very refreshing and shook the last of the sleep from my body. Which left me to wonder, why did Rei let me sleep so long?  
  
'Rei, why did you let me fall asleep on the beach?' I asked, knowing that she knew how much I wanted to come to the beach for the purpose of swimming.  
  
'Sleep? When were you asleep? We just left you like, three minutes ago.' Rei responded, making me feel very odd.  
  
'Um, never mind, I was just fooling with you.' I said, trying to add a tone of humor. I don't think it worked well, cause Rei just stared at me strangely.  
  
"Usagi, you're really weird." Rei said, as she attacked me again with the water.  
  
I tried to drop the whole incident from my mind, not wanting Rei to try to figure out what was wrong with me. But it was like a strange dream floating around. I remember running up and falling into Mamoru, but everything until I woke up is a blur. Images, mostly blurry colors, were hovering in my mind, unexplainable.  
  
Our beach trip ended without any problem after that, except an incident when we were flying kites. The wind was low and Haruka seemed to be the only one who could get her kite in the air. With a little flick of my wrist, however, I helped Shingo to get his kite up. Mamoru seemed confused as to why only two kites would go up, but I think he gave up.  
  
After our day at the beach, I noticed that Mamoru was coming around more often. Makoto said it was because he lived a boring life and needed to find some excitement. If that's the case, I think he got more than he bargained for.  
  
~*~  
  
"Ahhh! A SALE!!!!" Minako yelled as she ran from our group. We decided that we needed to spend a day as normal teenagers and get away from life. However, when no one else could decide what to do, Minako suggested the mall.  
  
"Mina! Wait for me!" I yelled as I ran to catch up to her. I never said that I had a problem with her suggestion.  
  
"Here we go again." Haruka mumbled. Then again, I never said that everyone else agreed with her suggestion.   
  
Ami was delighted, after spending her entire allowance at the bookstore. Makoto, found her haven in the cookware store. Minako was happy with anything that said sale, while I was just fond of looking. But poor Haruka and Mamoru seemed to be quite bored and disappointed at the lack of leather, motorcycle, and general "male" stores to be found in the mall.  
  
Skipping, I quickly caught up to Minako as she entered the clothing store that had 'Everything 1/2 off!!' and we headed over to a rack of formal dresses. As I started flipping through the dresses, I noticed that Mamoru and Haruka followed us in.   
  
"We'll be sitting in the chairs by the dressing room." Haruka mumbled as she and Mamoru walked away from us.  
  
"Okay," Minako started with a huge grin, "We'll be over shortly to model for you."  
  
I quickly spotted a dress in my size that was beautiful and I knew that I had to try it on. I then picked out two other dresses and saw that Minako also had several dresses in her hands.  
  
"You ready?" I asked with a smile. She nodded her head and we made our way over to the dressing rooms. Mamoru and Haruka were sitting in two chairs reading magazines that had been on a small table.  
  
"You two are fast!" Haruka said in astonishment. "Let's hope this gets done fast." She said to Mamoru with a wink. He nodded his head, not even looking up from his magazine.  
  
Minako and I separated into our own dressing rooms and I began to strip of my clothes. Looking at the dresses I brought in, I decided to save the best for last. So, I chose the pink frilly dress I had grabbed from the rack. I pulled it on over my head and smoothed out the wrinkles as it fell down my body. A look in the mirror made me realize that this dress was more suited for a cotton candy rack.  
  
"Ready?" Minako asked from her room.  
  
"Yes." I said, not feeling confident of my looks in the pink frills.  
  
We stepped out of the dressing rooms in unison. Minako was dressed in an orange dress that was sleeveless and short. It stuck to her body in a very seductive way.  
  
"Minako, I like it." Haruka said, giving her a low whistle. "Usagi... no."  
  
I laughed out loud. "I agree myself. But Minako, I like it too." Minako blushed a little as she gave a small spin in front of a threefold mirror. Mamoru, meanwhile, didn't even appear to notice us. With a sigh, I returned to my dressing room. The sound of a door closing indicated that Minako had as well.  
  
On to dress number two. It was a short lilac dress that floated out at the bottom. It had long sleeves and didn't look to well. In my opinion, it was made awkward. Who would want to wear a short dress with long sleeves?  
  
"Ready." I said and walked out of the room, not giving Minako a chance to reply. However, she walked out at the same time as I did. This time, she was wearing a tacky gold sequin dress that did nothing for her figure.  
  
"Usagi, I don't like the look. Minako..." Haruka trailed off, but gave her two thumbs down. Without waiting for anything else, we both turned and headed back in.  
  
Dress three. This was the one I hoped beyond anything would look good. I slipped the lightweight silver material over my head. It was a long spaghetti strapped dress that clung to my every curve. I had to admit, I really liked how it looked. I looked older than I was, that was for certain.  
  
"Ready." Minako said and we stepped out again, to silence.  
  
I looked to find that Haruka was staring at me with her mouth dropped open. Minako also seemed to be speechless. She was dressed in a cute black dress with spaghetti straps, which ended just below the knees.  
  
"Well?" I asked, wondering what they thought.  
  
"Usagi," Haruka said just barely above a whisper, "You look gorgeous!"  
  
I blushed. Minako seemed to still be tongue tied and simply nodded her head with Haruka. I looked back to Haruka who was smiling and caught sight of Mamoru's eyes falling back down to the magazine. Had he been looking at me?? My curiosity was killing me and I wanted to know what he thought. So, I checked.  
  
Mamoru, like previously when I tried, was very well guarded. One word did come out 'Beautiful'. However, was he referring to the dress, me in it, or something he was looking at in the magazine. Knowing that I would get no answers, I tried the direct approach.  
  
"What do you think Mamoru?"  
  
"Not bad." Not bad! Well, it's better that worse. Giving up, I turned to Minako.  
  
"I like that Minako, but I liked the first one better." Minako simply nodded her head in agreement. We headed back into our dressing rooms. I changed back into my clothes when I heard Minako.  
  
"Ready." Humoring her, I stepped out. She evidently had one more dress than me, so I laughed when she realized that I was done. I walked over and sat in a chair next to Mamoru. Minako had come out in a frilly green dress that was hideous.  
  
"Thumbs down." I replied and Haruka expressed her agreement with her hands.  
  
"Okay, I'm done. I'm getting the orange dress. What about you Usa?" She asked.  
  
"I can't. I don't have enough money to buy the silver dress." I said sadly. I felt eyes on me and turned only to find Mamoru looking at his magazine. Weird.  
  
"Well, I'll change and be done." Minako said and stepped back into the dressing room. Moments later she returned dressed, with her purchase in her hand. She quickly paid and the four of us left the store.  
  
We hadn't even made it to the next store when a loud scream sounded. I quickly looked to my companions and we all took off running towards the scream. Several more screams soon joined the first, so it was easy to find the source coming from the food court on the level below us.  
  
"What do we do?" I asked out loud as I looked at the blue youma below us firing off shots of energy randomly.  
  
"Run!" Mamoru shouted and grabbed my arm and pulled me along as he ran. My mind was panicking. Minako and I desperately needed to get to the battle.  
  
'Rei!' I mentally shouted.  
  
'I know, youma in the food court.' She responded. 'We are on our way.'  
  
'Minako and I are with Mamoru. It may take a while, but we will be there as soon as we can.'  
  
'We'll try to handle it.'  
  
I closed off the conversation with Rei just as Mamoru pulled me into a small corridor. Haruka and Minako were right behind us. A quick look into their eyes indicated that they were also worried about the situation with Mamoru. I scanned the area around us and quickly came up with a plan.  
  
"Let's hide in the restrooms." I suggested, pointing to the doors in the corridors. Minako and Haruka quickly agreed, and started to go into the Women's restroom. I began to follow and noticed that Mamoru was also following.  
  
"Mamoru-baka, you can't come into a Women's restroom." I said with a slight tone of humor. Before he had a chance to disagree, I pushed him towards the Men's room. "We'll be fine, I promise."  
  
He nodded his head and went into the Men's room. I immediately joined the other two girls in the Women's room. "Haruka, stay here. I don't want anyone to see you helping us. That may be a little two obvious." Haruka agreed, although reluctantly.   
  
Minako and I changed into our Senshi forms and took off for the battle. Which, unfortunately, seemed to be going against our side. The youma was still hovering slightly above the food court and firing off massive amounts of energy. People were cowering under tables, but none seemed drained of energy.  
  
"Moon Tiara Action!"  
  
"Crescent Beam!"  
  
We caught the youma off guard and stunned her. However, she was not out of the battle. She fired off several more shots when a red rose imbedded itself in her arm.   
  
Tuxedo Kamen was standing on the railing of the second floor looking down onto all of us. The youma fired off several shots at him, but he jumped down from the railing and joined us.   
  
We all continued to send out our attacks, but the youma continued to dodge them all. However, she was not only trying to fire at us, but seemed to be trying to cause damage to the mall as well.  
  
I fired off my tiara at the same time as a ball of energy started racing towards me. Before I had a chance to react, I was knocked out of the way. From my position of the floor where I landed, I looked up to see Tuxedo Mask get hit by the energy in the arm.  
  
He landed on the ground, not far from me, clutching at his arm. It seemed that we were safe where we were and I crawled over to his side. The burn in his upper arm was bleeding badly and I knew that I needed to heal him.   
  
From within me, I felt my energy pouring into my hands. It was strange. Unlike last time, I didn't go into a trance. I could feel everything. Deep heat poured from my fingers as I laid them upon his injury. A white light glowed from my hands and I actually saw his wound heal itself under my care.  
  
The light and heat faded and I looked at Tuxedo Mask's face. He was staring at me, as if in awe, and I could see his blue eyes staring into my own through his mask. His eyes seemed very familiar, yet it was like a blurry dream.  
  
"Thank you." He said softly.   
  
"Rest here while we take care of this guy." I told him gently and he nodded his head in agreement.  
  
Rejoining the battle, I noticed that everyone was looking slightly worn down. I fired my tiara into the fray, causing no damage. It seemed that it would be a lost battle soon, when a deep voice yelled out.  
  
"Stop!" It was a command, and apparently not one to be disobeyed. The youma immediately stopped firing and actually bowed down slightly. A man with long brown hair materialized above us all, hovering around the height of the second floor of the mall.  
  
"So, you are the Sailor Senshi. Not for long." The man said with a slight laugh.  
  
"Who are you?" Makoto asked with a deep growl.  
  
"I am Nephrite. To bad you won't be alive to remember." He said and then gave a wave of his hand to the youma, indicating that she may begin again. Nephrite disappeared, leaving before the battle had even resumed.  
  
Too bad for him. For he didn't realize that while he was talking, Ami and Rei had been preparing their attacks for the still youma.  
  
"Shabon Spray Freezing!"  
  
"Fire Soul."  
  
The fire hit first, charring the youma and the ice hit next. Much like a glass dish removed from the oven and put into cold water, the youma split right down the middle.  
  
"Mercury," I said, slightly astonished, "Nice move." Ami only blushed before Minako grabbed onto my arm.  
  
"We've got to go." I nodded my agreement and we took off running.   
  
Realizing that we didn't explain to the other senshi, I quickly explained to Rei and instructed her to come looking for us. She agreed and said that they had already departed the scene.  
  
Minako and I entered the restroom to find a very flustered Haruka. We powered down and gave her all the details. She hit her fist into one of the stall doors, causing it to fall off of its hinges.  
  
"I wish I could have been there." She grumbled.  
  
"Don't worry Haruka. I'm sure we haven't seen the end of this yet." I said with a heavy sigh.  
  
With nothing else to do, we sat and waited patiently for the others to come find us. About 10 minutes later we heard the other senshi shouting our names. Knowing that all was truly safe, we stepped out of the restroom at the same time Mamoru stepped out of the men's room.  
  
Knowing that no one was in the mood to shop anymore, we all decided to go home. However, Mamoru said that he felt the need to walk Rei and I home. Not wanting to hurt his feelings for the kind gesture, we accepted his offer. We walked in apparent silence, although I was informing Rei of the restroom incident mental. She found it hilarious that Mamoru didn't argue about separating from us.  
  
"Ah, home sweet home." I said with a giggle as we approached the shrine steps. I turned to say goodbye to Mamoru, only to find that he was starting his way up the steps already. I shrugged my shoulders at Rei in confusion, but continued on my way up the steps as well.   
  
We reached the top of the steps and I started to walk towards the shrine when I felt Mamoru grab out and take my hand.  
  
"Usagi, can we talk, um... in private?" Mamoru asked quietly. I turned to Rei but found no answer in her eyes.  
  
"Sure, I suppose so." I answered simply. Rei went inside and Mamoru and walked around to the side of the shrine and sat on a bench. He still had not let go of my hand.  
  
"What's up Mamoru?"  
  
"Usagi, I, well, I have a question for you." He said as he stared at the ground. What ever it was he wanted to know, it was difficult to ask.   
  
"Go ahead." I encouraged. He finally lifted his face and his eyes met mine. What I saw there was very surprising. Fear, anger, love...it was all mixed together.  
  
"Who are you? I mean, who are you really?" He asked quietly.  
  
"What do you mean?"  
  
"Usagi, please, tell me the truth. I know it already, but please, tell me."  
  
"Mamoru, I'm confused and you are starting to scare me."   
  
"Usa, I know it was you. I could feel you moving throughout me."  
  
Now I was really confused. I really had no idea what he was talking about and it appeared that he finally realized that.  
  
"You healed me. I felt you move throughout me when you healed me. It was a warm and magnificent feeling. Truly indescribable. So, please, tell me."  
  
"When did I heal...Oh!" And realization hit me square on the head. "You, you're..."  
  
"Yes. And you are."  
  
All of our words ended there. I stared into his deep blue eyes and I knew. Those eyes, I knew that they had looked familiar.  
  
"Tuxedo Mask." I whispered.  
  
"Sailor Moon." He whispered back.  
  
"Mamoru, I never realized...but then, I suppose that's why you wear a disguise." I said with a slight giggle. He gave a slight chuckle in response.  
  
"Well, it obviously worked. You didn't seem to know who I was. And truthfully, I wouldn't have know who you were if you wouldn't have healed me."   
  
"Mamoru, I, I couldn't let my hero be hurt. By the way thanks." I said with a large smile.  
  
"For what?" He asked, his eyebrows mashed together in confusion.   
  
"For saving me so many times. Thank you."  
  
"No, Usagi, thank you. You have saved me in more ways than you can imagine." He said, his voice dropping towards a whisper in the end.  
  
"So, can I come out now?" A voice sounded from around the corner.  
  
"REI!" I shouted. I don't know when she started eavesdropping, but in that moment, I realized that I had let my guard down and she had probably been spying in my mind.  
  
"Gomen, Gomen. I just couldn't help myself." Rei said as she came around the corner.  
  
"Sailor Mars." Mamoru said with a nod of his head.  
  
"The one and only, or so I believe." Rei said with a large smile.  
  
"How long were you spying?" I asked, tapping my forehead.  
  
"Long enough. So, Mamoru, what dress did Usagi look so good in?" Rei asked, causing me to immediately blush scarlet. Mamoru's cheeks matched my own, however his mouth was opening and closing like a fish.  
  
"It may take awhile to explain everything. Can you stay for dinner?" I asked Mamoru, who finally stopped his fish act.  
  
"I, I suppose." He finally stuttered out.  
  
"Great, I'll start calling the girls." Rei said as she hopped away to the shrine.  
  
Mamoru and I were alone again and I realized that we were still holding hands. I really liked the feeling, the way my hand fit into his.  
  
"Um, Mamoru, did you really think I looked nice?" I asked shyly.  
  
"Usagi, well, how can I say this best?" He paused for a moment and then looked me in the eyes again. "You looked damn gorgeous."  
  
I felt the heat in my cheeks rise again. I think that Rei would greatly like the color red that was adorning my face; it was brighter than any flame she could produce, that was for certain.  
  
"Mamoru..." I didn't know what to say.  
  
"So, Usa, why don't you show me around a little?" Mamoru suggested, helping me to stray from the awkward moment. He pulled me to my feet and began to walk.  
  
I showed him around the shrine, pointing out all the special secrets, like Phobos and Deimos's home.  
  
He never let go of my hand.  
  
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*  
  
Awww, wasn't that a sweet ending.  
  
ChibiJ77@yahoo.com 


	12. Chapter Eleven

When I Was A Little Girl  
  
Chapter 11  
  
By: Chibi J  
  
Rated: G  
  
Edited by: Sailor Sista  
  
Standard Disclaimers  
  
This is dedicated to all my friends at Aria's Asylum. You have kept me sane during a difficult time in my life. You all provide me with a light and happiness that can never be duplicated. *gets out box of tissues* sorry, I've been in a slightly mushy mood lately.  
  
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*  
  
I feel strange. As if floating in a large pool of water. I don't feel that I can relax and I am not moving, I'm just floating. I'm surrounded by a current of emotions that are hitting into the sides of my body and often floating over me. It's a very odd and complex feeling.  
  
**Knock Knock**  
  
"Hai!" I yell, sitting up on my bed. I was getting tired of contemplating life anyway. I never got any further than a wandering thought.  
  
"Usagi, may I come in?" Luna asked from just outside my door. It seemed strange that she asked to enter. It had just been accepted that Luna stayed with me. Normally, she would just enter unannounced.  
  
"Hai Luna, come on in." After a moment of brief scratching at the screen, Luna slid the door open. She seemed rather down and since curiosity killed the cat, I wondered what she had been up to.  
  
"What's up Luna, you don't look too happy." I asked, knowing how Luna had a way of taking her time to get to the point.  
  
"Well, Usa, something Mamoru said last night has been bothering me." She replied as she jumped up on the bed next to me. Just yesterday Mamoru confessed to being Tuxedo Kamen and that he knew I was Sailor Moon. We had a meeting with everyone, including Shingo and Grandfather. Everything was brought into the open, leaving poor Mamoru with an overwhelming amount of information to process.  
  
"What did he say?" I asked, not truly remembering him say much of anything except oh and uh-huh.  
  
"He mentioned the moon wand. Actually, he asked if anyone had control of the moon wand yet." Luna said then gave a long pause. I was about to ask her for more information or to explain why this bothered her, when she began to speak again. "The moon wand is a powerful weapon that can kill or heal an enemy. It has always belonged to the most powerful and leader of the Sailor Senshi."  
  
I took a moment to process this thought. Luna had said before that we were the only Sailor Senshi. "Do you still have the moon wand?" She had not given this weapon to any of us yet, perhaps because she didn't have it. Or did she not trust any of us.  
  
"Yes, I have it. I have been waiting to give it to its proper owner." Luna said. She looked up from the bed, where her eyes had been for some time. Staring into my eyes, I noticed that Luna had a look of fear.  
  
"What is it Luna?"  
  
"Usagi, I am afraid to give the moon wand to its owner. With it comes more responsibility and great difficulty. The decision of who should live and who should not is a terrible burden."  
  
"But Luna, I'm sure that as a team, we can work through these kind of problems. Whomever you deem worthy of leader, no matter which of the girls you decide, can live up to your expectations." I assured the fearful feline.  
  
Small tears started to drop from Luna's eyes. I reached out and stroked the back of her head, effectively stopping the tears and causing her to purr. "Luna, I know that this is a difficult choice for you to make, but I believe that the team is ready for a leader. We know that you will make the right choice."  
  
Luna nodded her head in agreement and jumped from the bed. She made her way over to my dresser and pushed the all call button on my communicator that had been sitting next to my alarm clock. Within a moment, all of the Senshi, Mamoru, and Haruka had answered.   
  
"We need to have a meeting tonight, 7:00. Everyone must attend." Luna said briefly and then signed off. She nodded her head at me as a sign of good-bye and left the room.  
  
Once again, I was left with time for just my thoughts and me. This time, however, they circled around my curiosity of whom Luna would name as leader of the Sailor Senshi. My guess was Rei, but I would have to wait to find out.  
  
~*~  
  
"Attention Everyone! Youma at the base of Tokyo Tower!" Ami broadcasted over the communicator. Well, so much for a peaceful day with a nice evening meeting.  
  
"Copy that Mercury, we're on our way." Rei announced into her communicator as she walked down the hall to my room. She stepped into the room and nodded her head in my direction. I gave a quick nod back and we both transformed.  
  
It seems odd that no one ever notices that Sailor Mars and Moon always depart from the shrine. I suppose it's just one of those oddities that superheroes can just be thankful for. I mean, what if Spiderman had to constantly find someplace to change? (Just saw the movie, 4 stars!)   
  
With a quick jump, Luna made it to my shoulder just before Rei and I began to run off to the Tokyo Tower. Unfortunately, we were late in arriving, since we lived the farthest away, and a large amount of damage had already occurred.  
  
"What's up Mercury?" I asked as I approached the battleground.  
  
"It's a lot like the last. Not after energy, just out to cause trouble and destroy the area." Ami replied, entering data into her computer. "It doesn't seem to have a weak spot and Venus and Jupiter are tiring out."  
  
An attack flew past my head and landed into a nearby building. "Well, we need to get this thing under control soon!"  
  
Rei nodded her head in agreement and we began to attack at the same time. Luna had sought cover behind Ami's legs, who continued to analyze the situation.  
  
Sadly, Ami was right. Our attacks were making no real damage to the creature and exhaustion was fast approaching. Minako was almost hit by a stray blast of energy, but Tuxedo Kamen came in and whisked her away. For a moment I felt jealous, but that quickly left as I dodged another energy blast.  
  
"This isn't working!" Makoto shouted as she shot bolt after bolt of thunder at the beast. "We need more power!"  
  
"Sailor Moon!" Luna shouted to me. It appeared that she needed me and I dodged my way over to her.  
  
"Luna, what is it? Are you hurt?" I asked, worried that Luna may have been hit by a stray blast.  
  
However, the feline did a back flip in mid-air. Before I had a chance to complain or be impressed, something fell to the ground.  
  
"Sailor Moon, use this. You will know how it works once you pick it up." Luna instructed.  
  
I looked to the strange object that had fallen to the ground and picked it up. It felt light in my hand and very familiar.  
  
"Luna, what is this?"  
  
"It is the crescent moon wand." She announced simply yet with a regal tone.  
  
"But I thought..."  
  
"Sailor Moon, we will discuss this later. For now, you need to use it to defeat the youma." Luna said with an affirmative tone, letting me know that the discussion was complete. I nodded my head and walked over to where the others were battling. Tuxedo Kamen was throwing roses and the others were taking turns firing attacks. Exhaustion was written on every face.  
  
I stepped up to the youma with the crescent moon wand in my hand. Although my nerves were on fire, I felt a renewal of energy. The blood was pumping through my veins at an accelerated rate. I feared that if I didn't destroy this youma soon and calm down that I would have a heart attack.  
  
Just as Luna said, I knew instantly how to use the wand. Memories of a time long past flashed through my brain so quickly that I couldn't keep track or really even see a straight picture.   
  
I raised the wand high above me and began to trace a circle. I could feel my energy flow out of my body into the invisible circle. The power continued to grow as I moved my arm when, at last, the words spilled from my mouth.  
  
"Moon Healing Escalation!"  
  
With a rush, the energy rushed out and slammed into the youma. A brief scream left the youma's mouth and a matching came from my own mouth. I felt a brief moment of pain that faded away as the youma crumbled into dust.  
  
I turned to look at Luna as the other Senshi and Tuxedo Kamen gathered around me. In her eyes I could see guilt. She knew that I would feel the moment of pain when the youma died and felt bad. Ignoring the others around me, I made my way to the feline. I picked her up into my arms and began to stroke her neck.  
  
"It's okay Luna. I will be okay." Luna nodded her head in response to the words I whispered into her ears. I turned, with Luna still in my arms, to meet the eyes of the Senshi. "Perhaps we should have that meeting now." I suggested, much to everyone's agreement.  
  
~*~  
  
"Usagi is the leader of the Sailor Senshi." Luna said it plainly enough, but I don't think that she expected such a reaction.  
  
"WHAT!?" Especially from me. "What do you mean? I'm the leader??"  
  
"Usa, calm down." Rei tried.  
  
"What? No, I don't want to calm down." Like I said, she tried.  
  
"Usa, you are the most powerful." That was Minako.  
  
"But Makoto's powerful too!"  
  
"You were one of the first." Ami.  
  
"So was Rei."  
  
"And you are good at strategizing." Makoto.  
  
"But Ami's better!"  
  
"Okay, this is getting nowhere extremely fast. Usagi, you need to calm down." Luna pleaded with me. Deciding that the others were against me, I turned to the silent voices of the group.  
  
"Haruka, Mamoru, what do you think?" I asked in a calm and collected voice.  
  
Haruka turned to Mamoru and nodded her head. Mamoru smiled back and both turned to look at me again. Then they did something I really didn't expect. They gave me a double thumbs up.  
  
"Ugh! Aren't you going to say anything?" I asked, becoming upset again. Did they think this was a game? They must have, because they both shook their heads no. "Why not?"   
  
"Because no matter what anyone says, you always bite their head off." Haruka said with a grin.  
  
"I DO NOT!" I yelled back. Mamoru and Haruka just grinned at me like a bunch of silly Cheshire cats. "Ugh!" I groaned and threw my hands up in the air.  
  
**CRASH**  
  
"Usagi, you just broke a vase." Rei informed me. I dropped my hands in defeat and turned around quickly. Another crash sounded. "And Minako's cup."  
  
At that moment, Grandfather stuck his head into the room. "Usagi dear, please don't break anything else." And then he disappeared. His brief visit broke my hate streak and caused me to break out laughing.  
  
I gained control of my laughing and looked around the room at a bunch of smiles. "Do you guys really want me as your leader?" I asked, secretly hoping for a bunch of 'NO's'.  
  
"YES!" Seven voices said all at once. My voice caught in my throat. I didn't know how to respond to these people who were putting all their faith and trust into me. So I did what any woman would do, cry.  
  
When my tears subsided, I looked around the room at all of my smiling friends. "Thank you." I whispered, but my simple words had the desired affect. In moments, I was swallowed whole by four pairs of arms squeezing me in a giant embrace.  
  
On the side, I could see Mamoru and Haruka giving their nod of approval. However, I am not one to let things end so easily. I pulled myself from the other girls and ran over to Haruka. Before she had a chance to react, I jumped up and grabbed her into a hug. Although she hesitated a moment, she hugged me back before letting me go.  
  
Then I looked to Mamoru. He had a twinkle in his eyes that nearly had me worried. I grabbed him for a hug and he hugged me back. But what surprised me was when he gave me a gentle kiss on my check. I stepped back from the hug and stared at him. In that brief moment, the stars could have fallen from the sky and the sun exploded and I would not have know.  
  
However, as all things do, my moment had to come to and end. Luna cleared her throat to gain our attention. I turned around to face her and felt a blush crawl up my checks.  
  
"Well, now that we are done with that bit, perhaps we should get down to other business." Luna said in a voice that no one would dare argue with. No one argued, but a series of groans sounded through the room. I decided to sit where I was and found myself sitting between Mamoru and Haruka. However, Haruka didn't scoot closer to me like Mamoru did.  
  
~*~  
  
"Minna please. We only have two more weeks until school resumes." Ami said with a sigh. We had all gathered at the shrine to have a study session at Ami's pleading. She worried that we would quickly fall behind in school if Senshi business kept coming up. Although I agreed somewhat, I wasn't big on studying.  
  
"I'm sorry Ami, I just don't get this." Minako said with a slight whine to her voice. Ami, of course, easily explained the problem. That left our heads spinning and more confused then ever.  
  
Mamoru and Haruka had come over to help the study session along, but found that they preferred to stay away from our constant whining. Ami was beginning to agree and decided to leave us to struggle for a while. She opened her laptop and plugged the phone cord into the wall, obviously checking her e-mail.  
  
"Makoto, can't you make us some more study food?" I asked as my stomach growled.  
  
"No, not until we are done with this math." She replied without looking up from her book.   
  
Behind me I heard Haruka making smart remarks. "They will all starve to death."  
  
Of course I realize that I am not a straight A student, but I'm not the worse student in the world. So, in retaliation, I picked up the dreaded math book and chucked it at Haruka. Now, with my super abilities, you would think that I had some aim, right? Wrong. I ended up hitting Mamoru.  
  
"Hey! I had nothing to do with this." He said as he approached me with the math book.  
  
"Yeah, well, you weren't helping either." I rebutted.  
  
"Oh yeah? You want help?" He said with a sly voice. Unfortunately, this statement was followed by a pair of hands tickling me relentlessly.  
  
Minako, the darling that she is, couldn't let this go. "WAR!!" She yelled and jumped in and tried to tickle Mamoru. Haruka, of course, came to his aid. It was only a moment before Makoto and Rei jumped into the fray. Our giggling was loud and most likely distractive, but Ami continued on her computer. Well, until she suddenly shouted...  
  
"Oh My God!" This, of course, brought the pile of people, of which I was on the bottom, to a halt. Luna chose that exact moment to walk into the room.  
  
"What is it Ami?" Luna asked as she entered the room, paying no attention to the rest of us.  
  
"Look." And Luna did. Her face changed from an expression of curiosity to one of shock.  
  
"Oh my God!" Luna exclaimed.  
  
"That's what I said." Ami replied with a slight giggle.  
  
"Um, what is it?" I asked from the bottom of the pile. Luna finally acknowledged us with a roll of her eyes. She then looked back to Ami who nodded her head.  
  
"There is another Sailor Senshi." Ami replied with a straight face.  
  
"What!" I yelled from the bottom of the pile as I pushed up against all the weight above me. I managed to get out uninjured and looked at the laptop.  
  
"Mysterious warrior saves a women and her young daughter." I read out loud for the others as they untangled themselves from the human mound. "An unidentified woman dressed in a sailor suit rushed in to defend a helpless woman and daughter against a hideous creature. Although others say that it appeared to be a scene for a movie, agencies report that there was no filming scheduled for the day in the park where the attack occurred."  
  
I looked up to met Luna's eyes. "But you said that there were no more Sailor Senshi."  
  
"I never said that." Luna replied. "I said that I only hold the henshin wands for the inner senshi."  
  
"Well who holds the others?" I asked, only to be answered by a swirl of black.  
  
"I do." A women said as she emerged from the black hole. She had long green hair and wore a black sailor suit.  
  
"Sailor Pluto!" Minako said with a gasp of surprise.  
  
"Who?" Rei asked, somewhat speculative.  
  
"I am Sailor Pluto. I am the carrier of the wands for the outer senshi. I also removed Sailor Venus's wand from storage for you Luna."   
  
"Ah, yes, I remember when I felt that. Minako called later that night and we learned that she was a senshi." Luna said with a tone of confidence.  
  
"I had felt it imperative that I awake Venus when I did, much as I have done with Sailor Neptune." Pluto said as she twirled a large staff the shape of a key in her hand. "Now I feel that it is time to bring forth the senshi of Uranus, as she has helped you so much already."  
  
I looked around confused for a moment before it dawned on me who she meant. Haruka also knew it too and walked forward to Sailor Pluto.  
  
"I believe this belongs to you." Pluto said as she handed Haruka a henshin wand. Haruka twirled it in her hand a moment before shouting out...  
  
"Uranus Planet Power, Make-Up!"   
  
And with a swirl of lights, Sailor Uranus stood before us.  
  
"Now, this feels right." She said with a smile before transforming back.  
  
"In time, Sailor Neptune will be joining you, as well as Sailor Saturn, whom you have not heard of yet. But for now, I will bring you another friend to help you on your path to defeat the enemy." Pluto said as she stepped aside.   
  
From behind her, a white cat with a crescent moon on his head, like Luna's, jumped out of the black swirl.  
  
"Artemis!" Luna shouted and ran up to him.  
  
"Luna! It's been far too long!" He shouted and rubbed up against her, as if hugging.  
  
"What about you, Sailor Pluto?" I asked the mysterious woman.  
  
"I am afraid that my duty lies at the gates of time. I must stay there to make sure that no errors occur in the space-time continuum. But if your are in need, I will know and will come to help." She said and stepped back into the black swirl. It quickly enveloped her and disappeared.  
  
"Weird." Makoto said from where she stood by Minako, who nodded her head in agreement. Ami, of course, was busy typing as much information into her Mercury computer as she could. If possible, smoke would have risen from the poor machine.   
  
The rest of us stared down at the newest addition to our group.  
  
"Hello everyone, my name is Artemis. I am an advisor, like Luna." Artemis said with a smile. And from there, the introductions began.  
  
~*~  
  
"I hate school."  
  
"No you don't."  
  
"I hate homework."  
  
"No you don't."  
  
"I hate the cafeteria."  
  
"No you don't."  
  
"Will you stop saying that Rei." I yelled at my beloved cousin. We were on our way to the first day of school again. We were freshmen entering high school. Let the torture begin.  
  
"No, I won't stop until you do. We all know that it is impossible for you to hate, so stop complaining." Rei said with a smirk.   
  
"I don't know where you guys come up with this stuff. I can hate if I want to!" I said with a whine, stomping my foot.  
  
"I don't think so." Another voice said behind me. This, of course, scared me witless, as I didn't expect anyone behind me.  
  
"Ahhhh!"  
  
"Geez Odango, not so loud. There may still be people sleeping." Haruka said with a smile. I glared at her and Mamoru, who was walking beside her.  
  
"First of all, Haruka, everyone should be awake by now. If I have to go to school, then they need to get up. Second, Mamoru, I can hate something. For example, I can say that I hate you for scaring me." I said and stomped off. However, Mamoru wasn't about to let it drop.  
  
"You don't hate me or anyone, not even an enemy. You may dislike me, but not hate. We all know you Usa, you don't hate." Mamoru said as if lecturing.  
  
"Gomen Mamoru-sensei." I said and then saluted him. Haruka and Rei were slightly laughing at the scene.  
  
"Well then Usagi, I think that I will keep you in detention for the improper use of a salute." He said with a wink to Haruka. Who would ever think that those two would become friends and get along so well?  
  
"Make me!" I shouted. However, I quickly realized my error. Mamoru began to chase after me. I let out a small squeal and began to sprint towards the school. We were only a block away, but feared that I would never get to the building. Out of the corner of my eye, I saw Makoto and Minako approaching the school. I risked turning and waving to them. Unfortunately, not only did this slow me down some, but provided Mamoru something to grab on to.  
  
We came to a screeching halt right in front of the school, with everyone watching.  
  
"Caught you." Mamoru said, slightly laughing, slightly gasping for air.  
  
"Yeah, but it took you two blocks." I said with a smile.   
  
"Oh, fine, you win." Mamoru consented. Then he flung his arm over my shoulder. I was caught by surprise, but tried not to show it. His arm was light on my shoulder and very warm.   
  
"Let's go meet the others." I suggested with a whisper. I really didn't want to go anywhere. But, to my delight, he didn't let his hand drop from my shoulder.  
  
"Hey Usa, Mamoru. Where are Haruka and Rei?" Minako asked as she stared at us. In my mind I could hear her wondering what was going on between him and I.  
  
"Down the block. We, um, kind of got ahead of them." I said with a laugh as I looked up to Mamoru's equally amused face.  
  
"Uh-huh." Makoto said with a nod. "Let me guess...Mamoru, you said something that Usa didn't agree with and she argued. Then you threatened her and she provoked you more. Am I right?"   
  
With a slight blush on both of our cheeks, we dropped our heads in shame. Our little arguments had become like a ritual. It was fun having someone to goof around with.  
  
"Well, here they come now." Minako pointed out. Rei and Haruka laughed at us for a bit and explained the whole ordeal, causing me to blush more. Then the merciless bell rang, announcing the five-minute warning. We made our way to our first classes. Minako and I had Math and we had to depart from the group first. When we reached our door, Mamoru released his arm from my shoulder, much to my dismay. My shoulders seemed cold without his presence.  
  
"We'll see you at lunch." Mamoru said with a wink. I only hoped that I would make it that long.  
  
~*~  
  
"She's beautiful. A true goddess."  
  
"Who is?" I asked as I approached the others at lunch. I found it amazing that all seven of us had lunch together. I secretly think that Ami hacked into the computer system and worked the schedules out to her liking.  
  
"A girl in our Physics class." Mamoru informed me.  
  
"She's breathtaking. A true classic beauty." Haruka said with stars in her eyes. For a while now, we had all known that Haruka preferred females over males, although she was a she. It was something that we all accepted, though we never talked much about it. After all, she had no girlfriend and seldom talked about other girls in such a way.  
  
"Okay, Haruka's spouting poetry, I'm worried." Rei said as she approached our group. As was our old custom, we found a tree in the school to serve as our dining space for lunch. The noise of the cafeteria was too much and the privacy was lacking.  
  
"She's very pretty, I'll admit. She has green eyes and turquoise hair to her shoulders. I'm not sure what her name is though." Mamoru said plainly. It was obvious that he didn't see the same things that Haruka did.  
  
"Aww, it's so sweet! Haruka's in love!" Minako said with hearts in her eyes. If there was anything that the senshi of Venus stood for, it was love above all else. Although that was a nice thought, she had too much fun trying to play matchmaker.  
  
"Minako..." Haruka said in a warning growl. She crumpled up her lunch bag to use as a weapon if necessary.  
  
"Hey!" I said, trying to interrupt the oncoming battle, "Where's Ami?"  
  
"She had advanced mathematics for nerds last period. She's probably still there trying to finish reading the entire text book." Makoto said, causing us all to laugh.  
  
"Har, har, very funny." Ami said as she approached the group. A girl was following behind her, but I couldn't see her very well.  
  
"Gomen Ami, I was just joking." Makoto apologized.  
  
"I know." Ami said, laughing lightly at Makoto's over-apologetic face. "Everyone, I would like you to meet a new transfer student. She's in my math class."  
  
The girl Ami had been referring to stepped out of Ami's shadow. Ironically, she matched the description that Mamoru had given of the girl that Haruka was enamored with.  
  
"This is Kaiou Michiru. She was overseas in America for the last five years, but she was born her in Juban." As Ami spoke, the seemingly shy girl looked around our group. I noticed that as her eyes met Haruka's, Haruka dropped her eyes with a slight blush grazing her cheeks.  
  
"It's a pleasure to meet you all. I hope that I get to know you well." She said, sparing one last glance to the blushing Haruka.  
  
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*  
  
Umm, if you haven't noticed yet, I have taken some liberties with the characters. I'm sure you are thinking: Mamoru and Haruka would never be friends!! But, remember, this is my fan-fic and if you don't like it, don't read it! *starts giggling* He, he, look! I was being mean! *grins* If you don't know me, then you know that I never mean anything to be taken serious. So, don't even think of not reading!  
  
ChibiJ77@yahoo.com 


	13. Chapter Twelve

When I Was A Little Girl  
  
Chapter 12  
  
By: Chibi J   
  
Rated: G  
  
Edited by: Sailor Sista (ain't she just the best!)  
  
Standard Disclaimers  
  
Dedicated to Aria-sama, SSista-chan, Han-chan, and QS for their constant encouragement. Also, to everyone at Aria's Asylum, without whom I would have no reason for writing.  
  
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*  
  
During lunch, we all took turns asking Michiru questions. It wasn't long until it seemed that we knew everything about her. Although she seemed shy at first, she was very willing to talk and socialize once she got to know everyone.   
  
Like Haruka and Mamoru, Michiru was in grade 12. She had been in the United States as part of a musical exchange program. However, she wanted to spend her senior year at her home school and transferred back to Juban.   
  
As it turned out, Michiru was a genius, much like Ami. However, she wasn't just smart. She played the violin and enjoyed painting watercolors, both of which she had received worldwide recognition for.   
  
Minako stared at her with stars in her eyes in adoration. After all, Minako aspired to be an idol and here she was talking with one. Both Ami and Mamoru found her to be an intellectual rival, something they had always appreciated in a person. Haruka, however, hardly spoke to her. She suddenly turned shy, a very un-Haruka like characteristic, and basically sat and stared at her hands in her lap.  
  
By the time the lunch bell rung, we had decided that we all just had to go to the arcade after school for ice cream. Michiru seemed happy to have made friends, but occasionally looked at Haruka with a sad expression. It seemed that she was upset that Haruka wasn't talking to her.  
  
Makoto and I had English together after lunch, which was definitely not one of our favorite subjects. However, I was sad when it ended, as I had no more friends in the rest of my classes for the day. Three classes of sitting in the back row taking notes. It seems weird now that I have such good friends to imagine that I was never able to make friends with any of my other classmates. Unfortunately, no one else was able to look past the fact that I was an orphan.   
  
With the sound of the last bell, I stood up from my desk and put all of my books and papers into my bag with a sigh. Why did teachers feel it necessary to give out assignments of the first day of school? It was torture, plain and simple.   
  
Stepping out of my classroom, I noticed a familiar head of ebony hair emerging from the class across the hall.  
  
"Mamoru!" I hollered across the noise of the hall. Much to my surprise, he was actually able to hear me. We both fought through the crowd of escaping students to meet in the middle of the hall.  
  
"Hey Usagi, how were your classes?" Mamoru asked with a sinister smile. He knew how much I disliked my class schedule.  
  
"Oh, grand and glorious, of course!" I answered sarcastically with a roll of my eyes, causing Mamoru to let out a short laugh. "Are you ready to meet the others and head to the arcade?"  
  
"Read-"   
  
"Mamoru!" He was cut off by an overly sugary voice yelling out his name. We stopped and turned around to find the source of the voice.  
  
"Sato." Mamoru said with a slight groan in his voice. He had no time to say more as the girl threw her arms around his neck.   
  
"Mamoru darling, have you missed me? I've missed you." Sato said with a large, fake smile that showed off her overly bright teeth. I rolled my eyes in Mamoru's direction. He saw and gave me a small smile, which Sato accepted as hers. "I knew you would miss me." She said before jumping up and giving Mamoru a kiss on the cheek.  
  
My stomach rolled. Who was this girl and what did she think she was doing? Mamoru showed no interest in her, couldn't she take a hint?  
  
"Sato, please." Mamoru said as he reached back to release her hands from around his neck. She seemed slightly upset, but didn't back away.  
  
"So, Mamoru, did you hear about what I did this summer?" Sato asked. I felt a long conversation of nothing but hot air coming on and Mamoru mirrored the thought in his head.   
  
Then, Mamoru sent me a loud and clear thought. 'Usagi! Help!' Not one to let my friends suffer, I interrupted the rambling girl.  
  
"Um, Mamoru, we have to go meet the others." I said quietly. However, the small statement was meet with flaring brown eyes.  
  
"Excuse me. Who are you and what do you want?" Sato asked in a very rude tone of voice. I opened my mouth to answer, but she cut me off before I even had a chance. "Never mind, I don't care. Look," she eyed me up and down, "Freshman, you can just go and find your little friends and leave Mamoru here with me." She said and looped her arm around Mamoru's.   
  
"But," I started, never to finish.  
  
"Look little girl, didn't your parents teach you any manners?" Sato asked cruelly.   
  
Under most circumstances, I wouldn't let a statement like that bother me. But today, it hit hard. Tears began to well up in my eyes, but I would not grant Sato the satisfaction of seeing me cry.  
  
"Usagi-" Mamoru tried to reach for my arm.   
  
I shrugged him off and began running. Tears blinded my vision as I flew through the halls of the school. I saw the rest of the girls gathered at the front of the school, but knew that I didn't want to see them like this. So I dodged down a side hall and exited the school from the back of the building.  
  
I ran and ran for what seemed like forever before finally stopping at the small pond in the park. I dropped to the ground and cried my heart out. I knew that Sato didn't know who I was or that my parents were dead but that wasn't the point. I was upset at the fact that my parents were dead and never able to teach me manners, as Sato put it.  
  
I don't know how long I was bunched up on the ground crying, but I did notice when a pair of arms wrapped around me. I attempted to sit up and wipe the tears from my eyes. The arms let me loose a little, but not completely. With the blur of tears moved out of my eyes, I was able to see the owner of the arms.  
  
"Mamoru." I whispered hoarsely. He had tears in his eyes that matched my own. His breath was heavy, apparently from running, and his face was red where he had wiped tears from his face.  
  
"Usagi." He whispered and pulled me into his body, thoroughly hugging me. I leaned my head onto his strong chest and allowed my tears to flow freely once again. Mamoru simply hugged me and rubbed my back, letting me cry.  
  
After a while, my tears slowed and I pulled slightly away from Mamoru. I immediately noticed a cool breeze sweep between us, taking away the warmth we had created. His hands trailed from my back and down my arms until he held my hands in his.  
  
"I'm sorry Mamoru. I didn't..." Mamoru cut me off, placing a finger to my lips.  
  
"Usa, it's okay, I understand." He said, looking deep into my eyes. His blue eyes penetrated my body deep down towards my heart, which started to flutter.   
  
"Thank you." I said with a shy smile.   
  
Still looking into my eyes, Mamoru brought my hands up to his lips and gently kissed the back of each. I felt my cheeks burn and lowered my eyes to look at my lap. Hardly a moment passed, however, and Mamoru had placed a hand under my chin, bringing my face back up to his. He was a breath away from my lips, still staring into my eyes, as if asking permission.   
  
My eyes fluttered closed and his lips pressed into my own. His lips were warm and soft against my own. He slowly pulled away from me, his eyes once again staring into my own.  
  
"Usa, I..."  
  
*BEEP, BEEP, BEEP*  
  
"Damn." Mamoru cursed as we both heard our communicators going off. "We will finish this later." He said, trailing a finger down my cheek. "Mamoru here."  
  
"Mamoru! Where did you and Usa go?" A rather flustered Minako asked.  
  
"Sorry, we were detained. Are you at the arcade?" Mamoru asked, as he flashed me an award-winning smile.  
  
"Well yes, but umm, it's not that simple." Minako replied.  
  
"Why, what's going on?"  
  
"We are kind of caught in a sticky situation." Minako gave a slight giggle.  
  
"Oh for crying out loud." Haruka yelled in the background, "Just tell him already!"  
  
"Anyhow, Mamoru, um, there is a youma here discharging all the ice cream and soda pop. We are stuck to the floor." Minako said with a smile.  
  
Mamoru groaned and I rolled my eyes. What was with these youma?! Were they purposefully trying to annoy us?!  
  
"We'll be right there." Mamoru said as he shut off the connection. He turned to me with a big smile. "Would the lady care to go and get an ice cream?" He asked, with a slight bow and offering me his arm.  
  
"Why that just sounds delightful." I said, placing my arm through his. Together we strolled through the park, feeling that the others were in no grave danger.  
  
Of course, our feeling was correct. Yes, there was a youma. Yes, it was throwing ice cream and soda pop across the arcade. However, there was no other damage and everyone seemed to be in high spirits, even though they were stuck to the ground. Everyone had spoons in their hands and seemed to be partaking in the free dessert.  
  
Mamoru and I entered the arcade, as Tuxedo Kamen and Sailor Moon of course, and had a good look around. It was amusing to say the least. The only person who seemed upset was poor Motoki, watching his arcade turn into a giant slushy.  
  
"Sailor Moon!" Minako cried out.  
  
"Yea!" The others yelled with their mouths full of food.  
  
"Sorry to break up the ice cream social, but... Moon Tiara Magic!"  
  
My tiara flew through the air and hit the youma dead center. It crumbled to dust behind the counter.  
  
"That was easy." I said with a smile.  
  
"Yeah, but didn't it seem a little too easy?" Tuxedo Kamen asked while looking around.  
  
Leave it to a man to bring out the worse in a situation. Not even a moments' pause after that silly question and the ice cream soda pop concoction on the floor began to move. Taking all the stuck people, including the other senshi, the giant goop of food formed into what looked like a giant wave with eyes.  
  
"Oh, that's just grand!" I said sarcastically as I turned to Tuxedo Kamen. "Now what?"  
  
"Um...Tiara again?" He supplied with a very unsure voice. But, it sounded good enough.  
  
"Moon Tiara Magic!" My tiara flew off towards the beast, but the energy failed against the cool substance.  
  
"Errr, wrong answer, would you like to try again contestant number one?" I asked, causing him to laugh slightly.  
  
"Um, rose?" He said as he pulled a rose from thin air. With a brief pause to aim, he sent off the rose, which managed to get stuck in the goo.  
  
"Strike two." I said with a smile. Meanwhile, I began to wonder if the goo would ever attack us. Perhaps Rei's psychic abilities were rubbing off on me. The goo youma started to slide towards us like a slow slug.  
  
"What next?" I asked, keeping my eye on the creature.  
  
"How about water?" A voice asked from behind. I turned to find another senshi with aqua hair standing a few feet behind us.  
  
"Be my guest." I said and stepped out of the way.   
  
"Deep Submerge!"  
  
A giant wave of water swept out and bashed into the goo. He slightly disintegrated and let loose all of the people, who quickly ran away.  
  
Tuxedo Kamen grinned at the other senshi. "Very nice. Now there are no more people."  
  
"Hmm, no more people. That makes it my turn again." I felt like I was playing a game more than fighting a force of evil. I reached for my moon wand and brought it up in front of me.  
  
"Moon Healing Escalation!"  
  
The power streamed from me and into the goo. With a brief screech from both the goo and myself, the goo turned to dust, leaving the arcade clean again.  
  
"Well, that was interesting." Tuxedo Kamen said with a grin. I nodded my head and turned around to see the other senshi. Who was unfortunately not there.  
  
"Well, so much for asking for an introduction." I said with a shrug of my shoulders.  
  
Tuxedo Kamen nodded his head in agreement and we decided that we could make our escape. We ducked into a nearby alleyway and transformed back. Walking from the shade of the buildings back into the sun on the sidewalk, I looked towards the arcade. People were moving around chaotically and the police were arriving.  
  
"Guess we don't get to go to the arcade today." I said with a laugh. Turning towards Mamoru, I noticed that he was looking at me intently. I suddenly became shy again and looked down at my shoes.  
  
"Come on Usa. Let's go for a walk." He said casually as he reached for my hand, enveloping mine into his. I nodded my head and we made our way back to the park.  
  
~*~  
  
We walked together silently. For me, it was a simple lack of knowing what to say. My whole body was hot from the simple touch of his hand on mine. He had kissed me! Mamoru had kissed me! My head was spinning with thoughts and questions, none of which I could bring myself to say.  
  
I will say that I was worried. After all, it could have been a mistake. What if he didn't mean it? But he was holding my hand. He wasn't speaking to me. What was he thinking of? I didn't dare try to look. I didn't want to know, not if it was anything that said it was a mistake. I couldn't risk it.  
  
"Usa, we're here." Mamoru said quietly, pulling me from my thoughts. He had led me to a bench near a rose bush that looked over the lake. The sun was still yellow, although it was heading slowly towards the horizon.   
  
He sat down on the bench and gently pulled me down to sit next to him. The warmth of his closeness radiated throughout me.  
  
"Mamoru."  
  
"Usagi."  
  
We both started at the same time. A light blush crossed my face and I looked down to my lap. It was silly really. Here I am, a warrior, and I can't keep from turning into a little girl around him.  
  
"Usagi, I...well, I...ugh!" Mamoru groaned and wiped his hand across his face in frustration. I risked looking up towards him, afraid of what I would see. But when my eyes met his, I couldn't look away.  
  
"Usagi, do you know how beautiful you are?" He asked, immediately causing me to blush again and look down at my lap. This time, however, he placed his hand under my chin and made me look at him. "Usa, please don't hide your eyes from me."  
  
"Mamoru, I'm sorry." I whispered.  
  
"What do you have to be sorry for?" Mamoru asked with concern in his voice.   
  
"I, well, I mean for, well, I don't know. I just don't know what I am feeling."  
  
"So you apologize?" He said with a light smile. I nodded my head, feeling utterly ridiculous. "Usa, you have nothing to be sorry about." He reached up a hand and moved my bangs across my forehead. The touch had my nerves on fire. His eyes were looking deep into my own as he came closer towards my face.  
  
For the second time that day, in the same park, Mamoru's lips descended onto my own. The kiss was gentle at first, as if he were barely touching me. But slowly, he pressed harder, pulling me into his embrace. My body went limp in his arms and my mind went blank. I am unsure how I survived his kiss, as I don't remember breathing. Truly, I don't remember anything but a feeling of complete happiness.   
  
When he pulled away from me, I kept my eyes shut, afraid to find everything had been a dream. Then, opening them slowly, I decided that it must have been a dream, because, although Mamoru was still sitting right in front of me, we were not longer on a wooden park bench. In fact, looking around, we were not in a park at all.   
  
"Where are we?" I asked to myself more than Mamoru. We were sitting on what looked to be a giant rock shaped into a bench. Around us were a few trees, but mostly flowers ranging through all the colors of the rainbow.  
  
"Usa...are you dreaming this or am I?" Mamoru asked quietly as he looked around. Then, at basically the same time, our eyes landed on what could only be described as a giant castle.  
  
"What the..." I began, but came up lacking for words. It was a beautiful gray and white castle that mimicked every story-tale castle that a child could read about.  
  
"Usa..." Mamoru gripped my hand tighter in his own and started to rise, still looking at the castle.  
  
"I believe I owe you an explanation." A gentle voice spoke from behind us. To say we were startled would be an understatement.  
  
"AAAAHHHHHHH!" I screamed and jumped about four feet in the air.  
  
"I am sorry, I didn't mean to scare you." Still breathing heavily from the moment of shock, I turned to take in the person behind me. She was a heavily vision, dressed in a long, slender white gown. Her silver hair was styled the same as my own, two pigtails with buns at the top.  
  
"Who are you?" Mamoru asked boldly. However, the way he held my hand tightly indicated that he was not as brave or certain as he sounded.  
  
"My name is Serenity. This is my home." She said while waving her arm around towards everything in sight. "I have been expecting you both for quite sometime."  
  
"Why would you be expecting us?" I asked meekly. This woman held a regal air and I was assuming that the castle in the distance was her own.  
  
"I would like to tell you a tale, if you don't mind. It's about a prince of Earth and a princess of the Moon." Mamoru and I nodded our heads for her to continue. "A long time ago, people inhabited the Moon. They were beautiful of face and spirit and led a long and happy life. On Earth, some were jealous of the enchanted Moon people and tried to attack the Moon. They were easily defeated and peace reigned throughout both lands. The prince of the Earth, Endymion, fell in love with the young princess of the Moon, Serenity.   
  
"On a full moon in April, they were to be married. Their ceremony was never to commence, as the jealous Earthlings who had been previously defeated went to hiding and regrouped. They attacked before the ceremony began and a war commenced. However, this time, the Earthlings had sought out a more powerful ally. The dark witch Metallia had always hated the peace on the Moon and found her chance to defeat us in these disruptive Earthlings.  
  
"Unfortunately, most of the battle was won by the Earthlings. Many of our people were killed and our chances of victory were slim. Then, my daughter, the princess of the Moon," Mamoru and I looked at the woman in shock. She was a Queen! "Yes, I was the Queen of the Moon." She said with a smile at our expression. She then continued with her sad story. "The Princess Serenity was caught off-guard and an attack headed towards her.  
  
"Too startled to react, she simply waited for the blow. However, it never came. Instead, the Prince Endymion pushed her away and took the hit. He died in her arms under her tears. To distraught to go on, she ran herself through with his sword."  
  
Here the Queen stopped and wiped a tear from her eye. I found my self needing to do the same. Mamoru wrapped his arm around my shoulders and held me close to him.  
  
"With our home nearing defeat, I took it upon myself to release all of my power to send everyone that I could to live a happy future on Earth. You two, and the senshi that you know, are all reincarnations of that time." She paused to allow us to process the information she had just bestowed on us. I, personally, needed it. How often does someone tell you that you lived another life?  
  
With a deep breath, she continued. "The threat that you are facing on Earth is once again led by Metallia. She was weakened during the war on the Moon, but was never killed. My strength was gone after I sent away everyone and I could not fully defeat her."  
  
"Metallia." I whispered to myself. The sound of her name was horrid in my ears.   
  
"Thank you, your majesty." Mamoru said with a bow of his head.  
  
"There is one more thing that I must tell you. The prince and the princess were also reborn to the Earth and together can defeat Metallia." She paused, smiling brightly.   
  
"Serenity and Endymion are..."  
  
"AAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHH!!!!!!!!!" A scream ripped through my lungs, not only cutting off the Queen, but also bringing us back to reality.   
  
I clutched painfully at my arm and saw that some sort of energy had hit me.  
  
"Sorry to ruin your little moment, but you just looked a little too happy." A familiar voice sounded. I looked up to find Nephrite hovering slightly off the ground in front of us. Behind him, a youma was creating havoc on the park.  
  
"Nephrite." I growled. He gave me a strange look, as if studying to discover my identity.  
  
"Well, I don't know who you are, but since you found me out...I guess I'll just have to destroy you." He said with a snarl, sending another ball of energy towards Mamoru and I.  
  
Mamoru grabbed me and quickly pulled me off the bench, which was now just a pile of splinters.  
  
"Crescent Beam!"  
  
"Fire Soul!"  
  
The two attacks rammed into Nephrite, startling but not destroying him.  
  
"I'll come back for you two." He said with a snarl and began attacking Sailor Venus and Mars.  
  
"Usa, quick. Back here." Mamoru said and pulled us behind a tree. With only a moments pause, we both transformed.  
  
"That's it!" I said, stepping out from behind the tree. "This guy is toast! Moon Tiara Magic!"  
  
My tiara, as expected, did nothing but nick his arm. Behind Nephrite, I noticed that Uranus, Mercury, and Jupiter were quickly taking care of the youma. As long as we could keep Nephrite busy, it wouldn't take them long to destroy it.  
  
"Hey! Nephrite!" Tuxedo Kamen yelled out. When Nephrite turned, he found a rose heading right towards him. He ducked to the side slightly and took the rose in the shoulder.  
  
"GGRRRR!" Nephrite growled and threw another ball of energy towards us.  
  
Before we could duck, however, a large blast of water intercepted the attack. I looked to find Sailor Neptune hiding in a tree.  
  
"Thank you Sailor Neptune!" I said with a smile before she jumped from the tree and disappeared.  
  
Our attacks appeared to be taking an effect on Nephrite. The youma was defeated and now we were all attacking him at once.   
  
"Sailor Moon! Use the Moon Wand!" I heard Artemis yell from the sidelines. I turned and saw him and Luna sitting where the destroyed park bench had been. Luna nodded at me, as if to show her support.  
  
Tuxedo Kamen was standing next to me and put a hand on my shoulder for support. I pulled out my wand and began to circle it around, gathering energy.  
  
"Moon Healing Escalation!" I yelled as the power released from my body. However, as it hit Nephrite, I did not feel the pain that I had when using it on the youma. Instead, I felt warm and safe.  
  
As the energy coursed through Nephrite, he did not die. Instead, he was purged of evil. His body disappeared from sight, but for a moment, I saw his spirit form in front of me. He was smiling at me and mouthed the words 'Thank You'.  
  
The energy cut off and left me feeling very weak. On the ground, where Nephrite had been, I found another gemstone, similar to the one I found after defeating Jadeite. I reached down and picked up the stone, putting it in my pocket with the stone from Jadeite.   
  
"Sailor Moon!" I heard everyone shouting around me as I fell to my knees. I was too weak and my transformation faded as I fought to stay conscious.  
  
"Usagi, you healed his spirit." Luna informed me, confirming my previous thoughts.  
  
"Well done." Artemis said with a giant feline smile.  
  
"Usa, are you okay?" Several concerned voices asked at once. I looked around and noticed that everyone had transformed back.  
  
"I'll be okay. Don't worry." I said with a smile and attempted to stand up. I wavered a little and Mamoru was quick to help me. "What happened?"   
  
"We were going to ask you that." Makoto stated in a 'you're in trouble' voice.  
  
"Umm..." I started, not sure what to say. I looked to Mamoru for help.  
  
"Perhaps we should go to a more private location to discuss this." He said and I nodded my head in agreement. Just then, sirens could be heard approaching and we all began to run from the park.  
  
"Meet at the shrine tonight!" I yelled as we all ran our separate ways.  
  
~*~  
  
"Okay, lets all settle down." Artemis said from his position on the desk next to Ami's laptop.  
  
"Now," Luna began, "Why don't we start with what we saw and then Usagi and Mamoru can fill in the details." Everyone nodded in agreement. I, however, felt a blush rise up on my cheeks and turned to see Mamoru looking at me with a sinister smile.  
  
"Well I was walking past the park and saw the youma." Makoto said. "I called everyone, but received no response from Usa or Mamoru."  
  
"When I arrived, I was helping Makoto chase the youma around the park. It was almost clueless and just kept running around." Rei added.  
  
"When we got there," Haruka said while pointing to Ami and Minako, "They were both fighting the youma."  
  
"I spotted Mamoru and Usagi on a park bench." Minako said with a smile. "They seemed locked in a trance, just staring into each others eyes."   
  
At Minako's comment, both Mamoru and I lowered our heads to hide our blush.  
  
"Then Nephrite appeared. He threw energy at Usa and that's when the came out of their trance." Ami added in.  
  
"So," Luna said as she turned to look at me, "What was happening with you and Mamoru?"  
  
"Well," I started while playing with my fingers in my lap. Everyone was staring at me and I didn't think that I could tell them what had caused the trance. "Mamoru and I had been talking and then..."  
  
*Knock Knock Knock*  
  
Saved! "Who is it!" I cried out, extremely happy to have the heat taken off me for a moment.  
  
"Girls, Mamoru, I found this young lady outside. I believe she is looking for you." Grandfather said before disappearing from the doorway. In his place was the girl we had all met earlier that day, Michiru.  
  
"Gomen, I don't mean to intrude." She said shyly.  
  
"That's no problem. What can we do for you?" Rei asked politely.  
  
"Well, I overheard you saying that you would be meeting here tonight and hoped that I could join you." Michiru responded, not really making eye contact with anyone.  
  
"What do you mean?" Makoto asked, maybe a little too gruffly.  
  
"You are the Sailor Senshi, right?" She asked, causing us all to basically stare at her open mouthed.  
  
"Umm, how, who, what?" Ami stuttered out, causing us all to panic. Ami was never tongue tied or didn't know an answer.  
  
"I am Sailor Neptune."  
  
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~  
  
Wouldn't it be fun to end there? I mean, it's not a major cliffhanger, but it is enough. Or do you think that I should make Mamoru and Usa spill the beans in this chapter? Hmm...let me think about this one.  
  
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~  
  
Her announcement basically caused everyone to respond in some way.  
  
"Neptune!"  
  
"No way!"  
  
"Cool!"  
  
"Isn't she beautiful?" That one was whispered.  
  
"Welcome to the team!"  
  
"Okay everyone! Settle down!" Luna yelled across the room, effectively silencing us. Ironically, Michiru didn't seem at all affected by the talking cat. "Welcome Michiru, we are glad to have you as part of the group."  
  
Michiru smiled and took a seat in the circle, next to Haruka. Haruka seemed a little nervous, but calmed down after a moment.  
  
"Now, Usagi, what were you starting to tell us?" Artemis asked sweetly. I wish I could strangle that cat.  
  
"Well, we were talking," I paused for a moment to collect my thoughts. However, some people are very impatient.  
  
"We got that Usa, go on!" Minako said with a grin. Her eyes were glowing, as if she already knew what I was about to say.  
  
"andmamorukissedme" I muttered under my breath. Mamoru grinned at my silly antic. He reached for my hand in support, which I greatly appreciated. Because, although not everyone caught what I said, the love senshi did.  
  
"Mamoru kissed you!" She screeched at the top of her lungs, making everyone stare at her for the outburst. However, it wasn't long until their eyes turned to us.  
  
"Yes, Mamoru kissed me." I said with a smile, my cheeks burning hot.  
  
"Alright Mamoru!" Haruka said and reached over to give him a high-five, which he returned with a triumphant smile.  
  
"And then what happened." Luna asked, a little flustered that everyone was concentrating on the kiss and not other matters.  
  
"I opened my eyes and we were in this weird place." I said, looking to Mamoru for agreement.  
  
"We were on a stone bench in some kind of garden when we were approached by a woman." Mamoru continued. "She said that she was the Queen of the Moon." Luna and Artemis both looked amazed.  
  
"She told us that the prince of the Earth and the princess of the Moon were reincarnated to Earth and they could defeat Metallia." I finished.  
  
"Who's Metallia?" Makoto asked while Ami typed away beside her.  
  
"She said that Metallia was the source of evil behind the Dark Moon." I answered, glad that we had got their minds off of Mamoru and I.  
  
"Somewhere there is a prince and princess who were reincarnated that can destroy the enemy?" Rei asked, a little unsure of everything she was hearing.  
  
"That's what she said. She also said that we are reincarnates of people that used to live on the moon. There was a war and she sent us to be reborn." I said, trying to remember everything that she told us.  
  
"Umm," Michiru tried to gain our attention, "Could someone fill me in on everything I missed?"   
  
"Haruka." Luna looked towards her. "Could you please let her know everything?"  
  
Haruka nodded her head in agreement and stood up. She offered her hand to Michiru to help her up, which she graciously accepted. Together, they moved over to a corner of the room to talk.  
  
"Well then," Artemis began. "It seems that we now need to track down this prince and princess as well as defend the city against evil."  
  
To his comment, we all sighed.  
  
"Meeting over?" Minako asked.  
  
"Meeting over." Luna confirmed.  
  
"Good." She smiled in my direction. "Usa, Mamoru. How are you two doing?" Mamoru gulped and I panicked.  
  
'Rei, help me!' I begged telepathically.  
  
'No way Usa! I want details!' She responded.  
  
I groaned as the questions were launched at me. Mamoru, meanwhile, just sat back and let me take care of it all. Typical male. Good thing he's damn good looking!  
  
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*  
  
Ta Da! The end! Of this chapter at least.  
  
REVIEW, REVIEW, REVIEW!!!  
  
ChibiJ77@yahoo.com 


	14. Chapter Thirteen

When I Was A Little Girl  
  
Chapter 13  
  
By: Chibi J  
  
Rated: G  
  
Editor: Sailor Sista!!!  
  
Once again, I am dedicating this story to everyone at Aria's Ink. I know you don't think that I have been around the asylum much lately, but I have. I may not reply to the jokes, but they make me laugh. You may think that I don't hear your problems, but I do, and I feel for you, hope for you, and pray for you.  
  
I haven't felt much in the writing mood, due to the really busy life I'm currently living. However, with a lack of anything to read today, I decided to check my reviews. There were no new ones, so I almost left. But then I decided to look at the older ones. The praise and glory you all throw on me is ridiculous, but inspiring. After all, I'm just an obsessed fan looking for a creative outlet. I'm nothing spectacular or special. But you all make me feel so wonderful that, if I wasn't slightly sunburned on my cheeks already, I would be red from blushing.  
  
THANK YOU ALL!!!  
  
And, since it took me so long to write this chapter, I have made it super long, just especially for you, my faithful readers!  
  
Ps. Don't own, never will.  
  
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*A brief interlude*  
  
Sometimes I feel that the others are picking on me. I mean, they all know my feelings about this girl. So what do they do to me, make me talk to her more. Not just more, mind you, but in private.  
  
"So, how 'bout you tell me what you know, and I fill in the gaps." I said in my most polite voice. Michiru nodded her head, causing her beautiful aqua colored hair to lightly bounce on her shoulders.  
  
"Well, I know that you have all been in service for about two years. It appears that Sailor Moon is your leader, that's Usagi, right?" She questioned and I nodded dutifully. "Lets see..." She wandered off in thought, absently twirling a strand of hair around her dainty, well-manicured finger. "And Mamoru is the only male of the group, besides the talking white cat, and appears to be Usagi's."  
  
I smiled at her last comment. Even though this development had only come about, it filled me with great happiness. Mamoru was a great guy and definitely fell into what I would consider the "close friend" category. And Usa was, well...Usa. She deserved every happiness in the world. If Mamoru could keep her smiling, then I am happy for them.  
  
"Well then, I guess I should fill in the rest." I said with a smile, trying to clear my mind of my previous romantic thoughts. After all, what chances would I have with this lovely vision in front of me? "To start from the beginning, Usa and Rei were the first two senshi. They both have telepathic powers, as does their grandfather and Usa's brother. Soon after came Mercury and they learned that Minako was Venus, but she lived in England. Next, Makoto joined and I came shortly after and here we are."  
  
Michiru kept nodding her head as I rambled, taking everything in with careful thought. Meanwhile, I felt like smacking myself in the head. If things came out of my mouth the way I thought they did, then I sounded like a moron.  
  
"Okay, but what about Tuxedo Kamen?" She asked, slightly tipping her head in his direction. Like I said, I should smack myself.  
  
"Oh yeah." I said in a rather goofy voice. 'What's wrong with me!?!' I shouted in my head. I noticed Rei, across the room, turn in my direction and stare at me with a raised eyebrow. "Mamoru lives with Makoto. They were raised in the same orphanage, so they are like brother and sister. He's kind of like a side-kick that helps out." I ended with a big grin.  
  
"SIDE-KICK!!" Mamoru shouted. I forgot that he was only a couple of feet away from me. The evil look that he gave me made me laugh out loud. Luckily, Usagi restrained him from getting up, while the other girls didn't even seem to notice as they questioned Usagi about their relationship.  
  
"Gomen, gomen." I said, waving it off as if it were nothing. However, I knew I would hear about it later.  
  
Michiru and I continued to discuss the youmas, generals, and the little information we had about the bad guys. It was truly difficult to concentrate on what we were talking about due to the proximity of her body to mine. True, we had just met that day (AN: Can you believe that! I've never had one day last a whole chapter, lot less continue into the next chapter! This day started back in chapter 11!), but I definitely felt something for the girl in front of me.  
  
Throughout our conversation, I noticed that Michiru had relaxed some and started smiling more often. When I had finished telling her everything that I possibly could, she knew almost everything about all of us. But, I realized that I knew nothing about her.   
  
"So, tell me about yourself." I asked, trying to remedy the situation.  
  
"Well," She began with a bright smile on her face. "I love to play the violin, regardless of the fan-dom that comes with it. I enjoy painting as a release to life. And..." She began but paused. Her face looked like a child who was holding the last cookie.  
  
"And?" I prompted.  
  
"And I have empathic abilities."   
  
What?  
  
"What?"   
  
"I have empathic abilities."  
  
"And what does that exactly mean?"   
  
"That I can read other peoples' emotions by simply touching them." She said as she reached her hand over and touched mine.  
  
'She can read other peoples' emotions. By simply touching them.' I thought to myself. Then I looked down to where her hand was resting on my own. 'She can read other peoples' emotions. By simply touching them.' Her hand is on my hand. My mind was spinning.   
  
'Look up Haruka!' Rei's voice shouted into my own. Confused, I did as Rei said, not even wondering how Rei was involved in all of this.  
  
My eyes came up to meet hers. They were bright and happy. She was smiling and a light blush crossed her cheeks. Without any registration of what was happening, she slowly leaned forward and kissed me on my cheek.  
  
"What was that for?" I asked, completely lost and confused, but extremely happy.  
  
"For feeling the same way about me as I feel about you."   
  
I'm not sure that anyone else noticed, but I could tell that my mouth was opening and closing like a fish, due to lack of the ability to speak.  
  
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~  
  
'Why is Haruka doing an impersonation of a fish?' I wondered to myself, as I looked at the two girls in the corner. Rei had been staring at the two of them for some time, to the point where I could no longer restrain my curiosity.  
  
"Um, gomen, what was that Minako?" I asked, blushing slightly in embarrassment for missing her question.  
  
"I asked if this is going public." Minako replied. I turned to Mamoru to get his response. I mean, he and I seemed to be a couple, but how did he feel about it. He had been sitting quietly as the girls fired questions at me about the kiss and how it all started and what Sato had said to me.  
  
"I'd like it to." He replied simply, flashing me a handsome smile. I blushed even more. I felt like I was melting inside.  
  
"Ah-hem." Artemis loudly, and artificially, cleared his throat. "I'm sure we are all having a lot of fun here tonight, but it is getting late."  
  
I looked at my watch and saw that he was right. It was nearing midnight and no one had done the evil assignments the teachers gave us. Tomorrow was the second day of school and the lack of completed homework would not make a good impression.  
  
"He's right." Luna agreed, which was far from surprising.  
  
Within a matter of minutes, everyone was up and stretching, or gathering their things. As we approached the front door, I could hear the sounds of rain outside on the porch.  
  
"I didn't know it was suppose to rain tonight." Makoto commented as Rei opened the door. It was not only raining, but pouring. Ami, always the one to need to know all the facts, pulled out her mini-computer and began to type away.  
  
"Clear skies, overnight high of 68 degrees Fahrenheit (AN: sorry folks, I don't know Celsius). Sunset at 8:41 pm." Ami read from her screen.   
  
"Well, so much for the accuracy of weathermen." Minako said with a sigh. "We are going to get soaked trying to get home."  
  
"And I don't even have my car." Haruka grumbled. The girls then looked to Mamoru with hope in their eyes.  
  
"Sorry, we came here after school, well sort of." Mamoru answered the question on all of their minds. After school he had run out after Usagi. Then there was a youma. Then they went to the park. Then there was a youma and a general. Then they came to the shrine. He never had a chance to go home, a lot less pick up his car.  
  
"I'll set up the sleeping bags in the other room." Grandfather mumbled as he walked into and out of the room. Someday I will figure out my grandfather.  
  
'No you won't.' Echoed in my mind with three different voices. Evidently Grandfather wanted his mysterious ways, and Shingo and Rei knew that we would never understand him.  
  
"Okay, who needs to use the phone to call and explain things to their parents?" I asked, only to see a few hands. To anyone else, the lack of parents among all of my friends would probably be a shock, but to us, it was life.  
  
"This way." I said and led the small group, Ami, Minako, and Michiru, towards my room.  
  
~*~  
  
When morning dawned, I rose as normal. Stumbling around the bodies spread across the floor, I noticed Rei standing and stretching to my left. She waved at me and greeted me with a 'Good morning' that only I could hear. We quietly made our way to the kitchen to have a quick breakfast before beginning our chores. After a few minutes, Shingo joined us in the kitchen and we talked a little about how his first day of school went.  
  
Chores, as always, took a little less than an hour to complete. The rain had stopped, leaving little puddles around the shrine as the only proof that it had rained. The sky was clear as the sun made it's way into the morning sky. It looked as though it would be a wonderful day.  
  
'Of course it is wonderful, little miss I-got-a-boyfriend.' Rei said in a slightly jealous tone. She was raking leaves on the back half of the shrine while I was sweeping the stairs. Shingo was off picking up sticks when he heard that little bit of info.  
  
'Usa's got a boyfriend!?!' He shouted in our minds. 'Who? Since when?' He had a slight tone of worry in his voice.  
  
'Don't worry Shingo. It's Mamoru. Since yesterday afternoon.' I replied, hoping to alleviate some of his concern.  
  
'Oh.' He replied simply and let the subject drop. I was slightly concerned, but opted to let him be.  
  
"Usa?" A weary voice sounded from the top of the stairs. I looked up to see Minako rubbing her eyes as she stood on the front porch of the shrine.  
  
"Hai!" I replied cheerfully as I bounded up the stairs.  
  
"How do you have so much energy?" She asked as she yawned.  
  
"Just do. You get used to early mornings around here." I said with a smile. It didn't help that I had had over a year of talking to her on the phone, late at night with the early mornings. Although it took a while, the lack of sleep no longer bothered me.  
  
"Well, I'm gonna head home to get ready. I'll see you at school." She said as she started down the stairs.  
  
"See you later, Mina!" I said as I waved goodbye to my friend.  
  
Shortly after, the rest of the slumber party began to file out of the shrine. The last to leave, Mamoru, made me promise not to leave for school until he returned. I blushed and nodded my head before he leaned down to give me a brief kiss goodbye. It definitely would be a wonderful day.  
  
~*~  
  
Wonderful day. Yeah right! I could wish. Besides the annoying teachers, I was being stared at by every set of female eyes in the school. I could hear whispers behind my back that I couldn't quite make out. But, knowing that they were probably things I didn't want to hear, I decided not to try and find out.   
  
In fact, I was doing such a good job of blocking out the thoughts that Rei had to yell at me telepathically to get me to respond. She was trying to set up a study group for the afternoon, but wanted to make sure that I didn't have any plans.   
  
'No plans but homework. These teachers are vultures. They only want us to keel over from the homework so that they can pick at our remains.' I responded.  
  
'Well thanks Usa. With that lovely thought now planted in my head, I will see you later.'  
  
I giggled quietly to myself as I made my way out of the classroom into the hall. I was grateful for the end of the school day and the fact that I would see Mamoru as soon as I stepped out of the classroom.  
  
However, when I saw him, I saw something that I didn't expect. Sato was talking to him, well, more like shouting. I could hear her throwing around insults about me, before she reached out and slapped him for defending me.  
  
As I got within about three feet of them, I could clearly hear Sato, even though I couldn't believe what I was hearing.  
  
"She's a slut and so is her mom. Why would you want to go around with some low-life nobody? All she's worth is some nasty diseases and infections. Not to mention that her father is a drug dealer and her brother is in juvenile detention for stealing."  
  
I'm sure that anyone nearby would have thought that Crayola was inspired for the color red on my face. My blood was boiling. Mamoru looked at me and simply stepped back, knowing that there would be no stopping me.  
  
"How dare you." My voice came out with a growl that would make Luna proud. "How. Dare. You!" I shouted louder, gaining the attention of everyone around. Yet Sato simply looked at me with a smug smile.  
  
"You know it's true, everyone does. It's all over the school." She said as she waved her hand around the student body that were watching with wide eyes. Yet, I could only see red. Flames higher that the sacred fire that Rei so loves, were burning through my veins. My hands were clutching at my sides so hard that I'm sure I could have broken a lead pipe.   
  
Then, she sealed her fate. She stuck her finger in my face and began laughing. Her finger dropped as she felt the need to wrap her hands around her waist. She was laughing at me. Soon, everyone around, except Mamoru and the other senshi who had now come into sight, were laughing at me.   
  
The sound of their laughter filled my ears. I could see nothing in front of me but a blur. Yet the sound of their laughter pounded in my head. Then it all stopped. I could hear only two people laughing. I knew the laughter. I had memorized that sound long ago. My mother and father. They were laughing as we all used to. In my head I could hear them laughing with Shingo and I after we heard something funny on the TV. It was wonderful! I could have listened to that sound all day.  
  
But it suddenly died. They had suddenly died.   
  
The sound of the evil laughter filled my head again. I forced my eyes to focus. I could see Mamoru looking at me with concerned eyes. I blinked my eyes as I moved from his eyes, to hers.   
  
Then, everything happened so quickly. I pulled my arm back, my hand still in a fist, and threw it forward with all of my strength behind it. Not just my average strength, which was amazing due to my years of karate training, but my strength as a senshi.   
  
I'm not sure where the hit landed, except for the fact that it landed on Sato. My body was quickly pulled back as the girl hit the ground. Again, my vision blurred, due to the energy that I had forced through my fist. The only thing that I could register was the fact that I was being pulled away. By whom and to where, I didn't know.  
  
Unfortunately, it didn't take long to find out. After about two minutes of being dragged, I was flopped into a chair. When my vision cleared, I found myself in the principal's office. I groaned silently to myself. The two men that had been dragging me were teachers. Ironically, it was my last period teacher and Mamoru's last period teacher.  
  
The two men quickly told the principal what they saw me do to Sato, and then left the room. Then it came. The ever-famous speech, which I swear must be printed in a book for principals. Yes, the "fighting is not condoned at this institution of learning" speech.  
  
However, part way through his speech, there was a knock at the door. With a gruff "Enter" from Mr. Yash (the principal) the door opened. In walked six girls and one guy. You gotta love 'em.  
  
"Mr. Yash," Mamoru began. "Please excuse us for interrupting you, but we are here to defend Usagi."   
  
I had to laugh internally at the tone of voice he had. He sounded like a professional. However, it worked.  
  
"Yes, Mr. Chiba. Well, what do you need to tell me?" He asked. It was obvious that Mr. Yash respected Mamoru. After all, he held the highest G.P.A. in the school and was well known for his manners and the respect he gave to his teachers.  
  
Mamoru explained what happened and the circumstances surrounding my family. The tears began to fall from my eyes as he explained with such care the death of my family. Rei sat down next to me and wrapped her arms tightly around me. The rest of the girls stood off to the side, each with their heads slightly bowed.  
  
"I understand Mr. Chiba, and I will see that Sato is dealt with, yet I cannot condone fighting, regardless of the cause."  
  
Mamoru sighed deeply and his shoulders slumped down. I stood and wiped my tears from my eyes.  
  
"Mr. Yash, I understand what I did was wrong. And I promise that it will not happen again. I will accept whatever punishment you give me." I said and bowed down my head, waiting.  
  
"Ms. Tsukino, you will serve a week of suspension. All assignments missed during that time will be counted as zero and you will not be able to make it up."  
  
"I understand." I said and bowed lower in acceptance. I rose back to my full height and turned to walk out the door. The girls stepped aside and let me through before following me out.  
  
We walked in silence for about five minutes before anyone even attempted to approach me. The first was Rei. She came up on my left and grabbed my hand into hers. Shortly after, Mamoru came up on my right and took my hand into his. The rest walked behind.   
  
As we approached the Shrine steps, a sense of dread filled my soul. I was a disgrace to the family. I had dishonored everyone that I loved. I lowered my head as we climbed up the shrine steps. When we neared the top, I noticed that Shingo and Grandfather were waiting for us. Shingo was holding Grandfather's hand and appeared to be crying.  
  
Dread filled my heart. What had happened to upset Shingo? What else could happen today?  
  
However, when I neared the two, Shingo ran to me and threw his arms around me. Tears ran freely down his face. Grandfather came up and wrapped his arms around us both. Rei joined in the hug soon after. Tears were coursing their way down my face. I didn't deserve such a caring family.  
  
Slowly, we pulled apart. I opened my mouth to speak, but Grandfather beat me, although not vocally.  
  
'Usa, I know. Do not fear my child, I understand.' Those few words filled me with comfort and I grabbed my grandfather into a hug again.  
  
'But how...'  
  
'Did I know?' He replied to my unasked question. 'My child, don't you know that I know everything?'  
  
I think the look I gave him answered the question. My grandfather was many things, but all knowing he was not.  
  
'Minako phoned us. Rei was too busy consoling you.'  
  
"Minako?!"  
  
"Hai." Her voice answered somewhat sheepishly as she waved a small pink cell phone.  
  
I flashed her the first smile I had had almost all day. "Arigato."   
  
Within moments, knowing the tension was broken, everyone had enveloped me into one large group hug. My guilt began to dissipate as everyone congratulated me for the punch I had delivered.  
  
Our study session quickly turned into a miniature party and we were all running around the shrine having a good time. However, all good times must come to an end. Ours came with an unexpected blast of cold wind and a brief downpour of hail.  
  
Confused by the weather once again, Ami told us of the beautiful forecast for the day. But the hail had come and gone with no explanation. Shortly after the brief storm, everyone decided to head home before suffering from more strange weather. Mamoru, however, stayed.  
  
Mamoru and I retreated to the rear of the Shrine and chose to sit on a small bench that overlooked the back hill. We sat in silence for some time, with his arm draped across my shoulder, holding him close to me.  
  
A soft sigh from Mamoru broke the silence. I looked up to his face, only to see that he was already looking down on me.  
  
"I'm sorry." He said quietly.  
  
"For what?" I asked, feeling confused.  
  
"For what happened. You don't deserve to have such things said about you."  
  
"Mamoru, it's not your fault. Besides, you know it's not true, that's all that matters to me." I said with a smile.  
  
"Really?" He asked.  
  
"Well, I would prefer that no one else believed it, but I'll be okay."   
  
"It will be okay." He said, squeezing me in his arms.  
  
"Thank you." I said quietly. He simply nodded his head, before leaning in to kiss me lightly.  
  
Once again, we sat in comfortable silence, watching as the sun set into the horizon in a spectacular display of color.  
  
~*~  
  
I have to admit that it gets rather boring around the shrine when there is no one to talk too, no chores to do, and no homework to struggle with. The first two days weren't too bad, but the third was boring beyond belief. So truly, the events on day four of my five-day suspension could have been blamed on my wish to have something to do.  
  
The call came through on the communicators a little after 3:00 in the afternoon. Everyone was out of school and on their way home to change out of their uniforms when Makoto and Mamoru sent out the call.  
  
"Senshi, youma at the Mocha café."  
  
Without much thought, I transformed and started to head towards the café, Luna and Artemis running behind. I could see Rei running ahead of me; evidently she had only been a couple blocks from home. I put on a quick burst of speed to catch up to her.  
  
"Right, Mars, interesting meeting you here." I said with a light tone.  
  
"Well, Moon, it has been a long time, hasn't it?" She replied sarcastically.  
  
We continued in a light banter until we reached the café. To say that it was a mess was an understatement. A wrecking ball would cause less damage. However, amazingly enough, the damage was restrained to the café itself. The buildings on either side seemed to be intact.  
  
The youma was of a pea green color and, for the first time ever, had a masculine figure. In fact, it lacked most of the ugliness of a typical youma as well. It was a simple, muscular, green youma. Even so, he had to go.  
  
Unfortunately, the man he was holding in his grasp limited our abilities to attack him. Mamoru threw out several roses, aiming for his lower body. Minako attempted to aim a crescent beam at his head, but the creature easily dodged. The rest of us couldn't use our attacks, due to the large amount of area they would cover. The risk of injury to the beast's captive was too great.  
  
However, that didn't last too long. The youma held his hand up to the man's chest and a light began to radiate from his hand. It didn't seem that energy was being removed, but more like something inside was coming out. And that it did. A red gem flew from the man's chest. The youma grabbed it and dropped the man to the ground.  
  
With his arms free of the man, everyone let loose their attacks on the youma. He dodged several, but could not avoid all of them. He appeared to be weakening and would soon be easy to take out, but nothing can ever be what it appears.  
  
A loud screech sounded from the man that the youma removed the crystal from. Unfortunately, it didn't seem that he was much of a man now. His body let off an eerie glow and when it faded, a twisted and snarling red youma was in his place (AN: sorry folks, these won't be the traditional crystal carriers or creatures that they turned into, although you may see a few familiar faces!).  
  
Without a second to think, I fired off my tiara at the new youma. My tiara had little affect, seeming more like a paper cut than anything else.  
  
"Alright Sailors, split up!" Luna yelled from her hiding spot under an overturned chair.  
  
"And don't let that crystal get away!" Artemis added from the remains of a booth.  
  
And thus the battle continued.  
  
Many attacks later (AN: sorry again, I'm saving up fight scenes for some more important battles), it seemed that both youma were finally weakening.  
  
"Sailor Moon!" Ami shouted over the sounds of multiple explosions. In her hand, as always, was the Mercury computer. "Now would be a good time to try your wand."  
  
I nodded my understanding to the senshi of water and looked between the two youma. The only question was, which one first. The energy drain from using the Moon Wand was great and I had yet to perfect using it against one enemy. How would I be able to stand up against two?  
  
As if in answer to my silent question (wonder if Rei had anything to do with this), the senshi seemed to have driven the two youma together, side-by-side. They were close enough that I could aim and get them both.  
  
But will it work?  
  
"Moon Healing Escalation!" I shouted as my body went through the motions. The power rushed out and into the two youma that stood before me.  
  
However, my body was thrown into a fit of mixed emotions. The green youma, being of pure evil energy, was being killed. The red youma had been a human and was being healed. The two opposing forces in nature, death and life, were battling inside me, causing me to struggle to finish the task at hand.  
  
With a scream of agony, a feeling of happiness washed over me.  
  
Of course, after that, everything went black.  
  
~*~  
  
"We need to be more cautious of how she uses her power."  
  
"Maybe she needs more training?"  
  
"Maybe she needs more time to relax."  
  
"Maybe she could just wait until the end to help, when we really need her."  
  
"Maybe she needs to let us know when she wakes up so that we will not be talking about her when she does."  
  
"Gomen." I said as I held my hand to my head and attempted to sit up. I failed miserably as my head spun.  
  
"Usagi? Are you alright?" Minako asked in a sweet and loving voice. I really hate to dash her good mood by adding my not so pleasant response to that stupid question.  
  
"Yeah. I'll be okay." I said with my eyes closed and my head lying on a soft pillow. A shift of the bed indicated that someone had sat on the edge of it.  
  
I opened my eyes to be met by the concerned eyes of Mamoru. "Hi." I said quietly, worried about the expression on his face.  
  
"Hi." He replied back, just as quietly. He brought his hand up to my cheek and stroked it gently. I reached my hand up to cover his own, touched by the love that I could feel radiating off of him.  
  
"Usagi, do you think you could sit up?" Ami asked, computer in hand. "I'd like to run a scan to make sure everything is okay."  
  
I nodded my head and sat up slowly, with Mamoru's help. With my first full view of the room I was in, I realized that it was not my own.  
  
'We are at Makoto's and Mamoru's apartment.' Rei answered the unasked question that I was about to vocalize. 'It was the closest to the battle.'  
  
"Did we win?" I asked, feeling silly immediately afterward. Of course we won, or we wouldn't be here.  
  
"Yeah Usa, we won." Makoto answered with a smile. Everyone had squeezed into the small room, apparently to keep watch over me. It warmed my heart to know that they all cared about me so much.  
  
Ami ran her scans and confirmed that I was okay, but maybe a little tired due to the extra energy I exerted. Everyone else continued to talk candidly around me, while I rested my head on Mamoru's shoulder. He wrapped an arm around me to help support my weight.  
  
A short while later, Luna and Artemis entered the room, causing everyone to fall silent.  
  
"We have taken a look into the crystal that we recovered from the battle today." Luna began. I had forgot all about the crystal that had been removed from the man. "We believe that it is from a series of crystals called the nijizuishou, which, when combined, will lead us to the ginzuishou."  
  
I'm sure that the look that Luna received from each of us made her want to smack us all. After all, sometimes Luna forgets that we are not all knowing.  
  
"Um," Ami started, in her usual quest for knowledge, "What is the ginzuishou?"  
  
"The ginzuishou is a crystal of great power which can only be handled by the princess of the moon. If we are able to locate the crystal, then the princess will be revealed to us." Artemis explained. Several heads nodded, but I think that most of us were still craving more information.  
  
"There are seven crystals, representing the colors of the rainbow. Each of you will be responsible for carrying a crystal, except Mamoru and Usagi, so that they are not all located in one place, thus making it easier for the enemy to capture. The red crystal that we received tonight will be guarded by Rei." Luna explained.  
  
"If the crystal were to fall into the wrong hands, it could be disastrous." Luna added, making me feel a lot better. NOT!  
  
The two cats looked at us as if that should have been enough of an explanation, while we looked at them waiting for more. Silence reigned in the room for several minutes before someone felt up to speaking.  
  
"So you're telling us that, in addition to finding the prince and princess, which we haven't even tried to form a plan for, we have to collect these crystals?" Haruka asked with a bit of sarcasm in her voice. The cats nodded.  
  
"But if we find all of the nijizuishou, they will lead us to the princess?" Makoto asked, double-checking her facts. The cats nodded again.  
  
"Well, I'm free Saturday night, how's the rest of your schedules?" Haruka asked with a goofy grin, breaking the tension that had gathered. Several objects, including the pillow my head had been previously resting on, were thrown at her.  
  
Michiru just dropped her head to her chest, suppressing the urge to laugh out loud as Haruka was pelted by pillows, an alarm clock, two different shoes, and a small plant (which Makoto yelled at Minako for). Although I'm unsure of what is between Haruka and Michiru, I could sense a deep bond forming.  
  
~*~  
  
The rest of the day was spent casually and as the evening approached, everyone began to wander home. Rei and I were preparing to depart, with Luna and Artemis at our feet, when Mamoru approached me.  
  
"Usa, can you and I go for a walk?" He asked in a shy and sincere voice. I nodded my head and sent a short telepathic message to Rei to let Grandfather know where I was.  
  
After leaving the apartment building, we wandered in silence towards the park. A sigh escaped from me when we approached the park. Even though it had been the location of many attacks, it truly was a beautiful place to visit. The night sky was alight with stars and a small sliver of the moon. The small lake reflected the sky in a mirror like quality, making it appear as if heaven had landed on earth.  
  
Mamoru led me towards the bench by the rose bushes, a spot we were beginning to frequent more often, and we both sat down. The comfortable silence that had enveloped us continued on for some time, until Mamoru shifted slightly. I looked to find him staring down at me.  
  
"What is it Mamoru?" I asked quietly, not wishing to disturb the beautiful atmosphere of the park.  
  
"Usa, do you know that you are beautiful?" I blushed. What else was I suppose to do?! "You have such a caring soul and a wonderful outlook on life. So few people have even one of those traits."  
  
"Mamoru..." I tried to speak, but he quickly cut me off by placing a finger to my lips.  
  
"Usagi, please, let me finish." I nodded my head and he removed his finger from my lips, only to rest his hand on my cheek. "It has been a long time since I have let anyone into my life. When my parents died, a part of me felt as if it had died as well. When I met Makoto and found that she was suffering just as I was, I felt that I had a weight lifted off of me. I learned to care for Makoto as a little sister and she responded in kind to me.  
  
"But I never, in my wildest dreams, imagined that I would feel the way that I do when I am around you."  
  
I felt a tear escape from my eye at what he was telling me. He quickly wiped the tear away and trailed his hand down my face. His face neared mine but stopped with his lips just a breath from my own.  
  
"Tsukino Usagi. You own my heart. I love you." He whispered gently. With no time to respond, he pushed his lips fully against mine in a kiss that would make the angels of heaven envious.  
  
When we finally parted, due to a lack of oxygen, I looked into Mamoru's eyes. There I could see the love that he had just professed to me. Without a doubt in my mind, I replied.  
  
"Chiba Mamoru, I give you my heart. I love you, too."  
  
He leaned down again to claim my lips as his own before enveloping me into a deep embrace.  
  
This is how we were found by Haruka and Michiru who had been out on a peaceful walk of their own. Thankfully, they let us be and only teased us a little about it later.  
  
*~*~*~*~*~*  
  
Do you know how much I wanted to add either a youma attack or another vision?!?! It killed me. But I know that a little WAFF never hurts and thought that all of you out there reading this deserve a good shot of it!  
  
*~*~*~*~*~*  
  
The next three weeks remained quiet. Unsettlingly so. There were no youma or generals to be found. Thus, we were all on edge. After all, you don't go three weeks without an attack when one was occurring everyday for months.  
  
But, as much as possible, we tried to enjoy the free time. That is, if you consider jumping out of your seat ready to battle when the waiter drops a plate enjoyable. Plus, the weather was going through some awkward changes from what the forecast predicted, often making it difficult to even enjoy going outside.  
  
Not to mention that the plan to find the prince and princess was moving along slower than a snail. Make that a DEAD snail. It sounded good in the planning process, but it just wasn't going as well in life.  
  
*Flash*  
  
(An: A large map of Tokyo is rolled out on a table. Around it stand seven girls, two boys, an older man, and two cats. A large whiteboard is mounted on the wall near the table.)  
  
"Okay, lets start with what we know." Luna began, pacing across the table like an officer would when talking to a bunch of soldiers. "Everyone in this room was born in Tokyo. Suffice to say that the chances of either the princess or prince being born outside of Tokyo is slim." Every head in the room nodded with agreement.  
  
"So, we concentrate on Tokyo." She concluded for everyone, though I'm sure that we had all figured that out already. "Any ideas?"  
  
Crickets could be heard outside the shrine.  
  
"Anyone?"  
  
"Well, we could start by inspecting anyone in the area that has any ties to royalty. Perhaps the Queen sent the princess and prince to live life's similar to their past." Minako suggested.  
  
"Good start. Write that down." Luna commanded and Ami stood, marker in hand, to write the idea on the board.  
  
"If Grandfather says that it is safe, Usa, Shingo, Grandfather, and I could lightly tap into minds to see if there was any trace or indication of the princess or prince." Rei suggested, looking to Grandfather for approval.   
  
"It should be safe, as long as we are discrete. I think we all agree that the prince and princess would be no older or younger than the oldest or youngest of you." He replied.  
  
"Oh!" Shingo shouted out. "Maybe I'm the prince then!" Needless to say that the light slap that I had delivered to the back of his head was well deserved.  
  
"It would be nice if it were that simple Shingo, but I don't think so." Artemis replied with a light laugh.  
  
"Come on people, think! We need to be serious here!" Luna commanded. Michiru and Ami were laughing behind their hands while the rest of us just let it loose.  
  
"Oh, give it up Luna!" I said, clutching my side from laughing so hard.  
  
"Really sergeant, I think you can relax a little." Haruka said with a smile. A smile that quickly faded when Luna shot her a death glare.  
  
"Fine." Luna simply replied as she hopped off the table. She strode over to the corner of the room and sat down in a huff. The laughter died down after seeing her get so upset, but I knew that she would come out of it just fine.  
  
"I can try using my empathic powers like the others plan to use their telepathic powers. Just bump into a couple people and check them out." Michiru suggested.  
  
"That sounds good." Artemis replied and Ami wrote it down.  
  
"I could do some computer searches for articles related to mysterious powers coming from children." Mamoru supplied, although he received some strange looks. "Well, think about it. Several of you have some strange powers. I imagine that the prince and princess would have some too. Maybe they weren't as discrete as you."  
  
"It's worth a try." Artemis said with a smile.  
  
The ideas continued to come, but most of them would be too difficult or would yield very weak or inconclusive results. So, for the most part, we kept to the strengths of the group: telepathy and empathy. As far a researching went, Mamoru and Ami decided to team up to investigate any strange occurrences and royalty.  
  
*Flash*  
  
So far there had been no leads to anyone. Rei and I were suffering from occasional headaches due to the amount of people that we tapped into on a daily basis, while Shingo and Grandfather seemed okay, but still flustered. Poor Michiru had bruises on her shoulders from where she was "accidentally" bumping into people.  
  
The only thing that Mamoru and Ami turned up were a few hoaxes, a couple of children with some outstanding powers that, although not the prince and princess, were most likely reincarnates of the moon, and one young girl that was a princess of some far off country without knowing it.  
  
But, even with nothing but failure, we continued on our desperate search. Why desperate? Because surely the Dark Moon was working up some evil plan, or else there would have been more attacks.  
  
As I've said before, and will say again, I hate when I am right.  
  
It was Sunday and we decided that we should go out and enjoy ourselves. Our hard work, though not yet paying off, was deserving of a break.   
  
Everyone arrived at the grounds of the Fall Festival at about 2.00 pm, dressed in our best kimonos. After all, some traditions should not fade and this was definitely one of those traditions.  
  
I have to say that everyone looked beautiful, even Haruka, who mumbled something about being handsome, not beautiful. I, however, was not the only person with this opinion. It seemed as if a lot of people were staring at us. It was a little unnerving, but mattered less and less as I began to enjoy the foods and games of the festival.  
  
The highlight planned for the evening was to be a concert performed by Hana, a local singer. A small stage had been set up and benches were set up around it. We had planned to arrive early to get good seats, but Makoto had ended up in a conversation with a chef at one of the food stands.   
  
So, just on time for the start of the concert, we found ourselves in the farthest seats from the stage. But I was still grateful that we would still be able to enjoy the show.  
  
Unfortunately, three songs into the concert, the electricity went out and everything went dark. The clouds in the sky prevented the moon from aiding in the lack of light and people were starting to panic.  
  
Then a single light shone down on the stage. Standing there were two people dressed in gray uniforms that resembled those that Jadeite and Nephrite had worn. Everyone in the audience stopped panicking and resumed their seating, apparently guessing that this was part of the show, while I started swearing under my breath.  
  
Before I could even stand up in protest of what was about to happen, the two generals held up their hands and shot four beams of light into various parts of the audience. The beams pulled up four people, three men and one woman and brought them towards the stage.  
  
As if by impulse, I began to run and look for a place to transform, noticing that the other senshi were doing the same. Rei, Ami, Mamoru, and I headed towards a large tree off in the distance while Michiru, Haruka, Makoto, and Minako headed to an old shed. Within a brief moment and a flash of lights we stood ready to battle.  
  
Upon entering the makeshift concert hall, I could see the first general with blonde hair tied into a ponytail reaching for a blue crystal that he had retracted from the woman. The other general, who had silver hair that hung loosely around him, was reaching for a green crystal from the man. The two other men were still suspended in the air. The people in the audience were watching the stage and applauding as if it were a magic show.  
  
"Well, if they want magic..." Haruka mumbled.  
  
And with that improvised signal, everyone sent off their attacks towards the stage.   
  
Both generals were caught off guard by the onslaught of attacks. The blonde general dropped the blue crystal and with a flick of my wrist, I floated it to my hand. I gazed at the blue crystal for a moment and then tossed it to Ami, who had been designated to guard it.  
  
The white haired general, however, quickly pocketed the green crystal.   
  
"Zoisite!" The white haired general yelled at the blonde. "I'll take these nuisances, you continue to get the crystals."  
  
"Yes Kunzite." Zoicite said with a quick nod of his head.  
  
Although we had yet to stop firing attacks at the two generals, nothing since the first wave of attacks seemed to be affecting them.  
  
"They must have some kind of a shield." Mamoru suggested as one of his roses stopped mid-flight and fell to the ground.  
  
"I'm on it." Ami replied, quickly pulling out her computer.  
  
Kunzite floated up in front of us and looked at us with amusement clearly written on his face. "So you are the Sailor Senshi. Too bad you won't stay that way." He said with an evil laugh.   
  
Without so much as a second thought, he threw his hands up into the air and brought them back down, releasing a surge of energy that knocked us all back.  
  
As the first to recover, Haruka threw her World Shaking at him, only to watch it bounce off to the right. Kunzite repeated his earlier move and threw Haruka to the ground, skidding back several feet.  
  
Behind Kunzite, I could see that Zoisite had removed and pocketed a yellow crystal. What I really didn't want to see though, was that the first two people had turned into youma and were quickly approaching behind Kunzite.  
  
"Ah, young ones, would you like to play?" He asked the two youma, which both smiled with a feral grin. "Then here you go."  
  
Kunzite teleported away from us, leaving a blue and green youma in his wake. He reappeared on the stage with Zoisite.  
  
The two youma growled in anger as they approached us. However, not one to waste time, I shot off my tiara, effectively slicing the blue across the arm. Knowing that our attacks would once again be affective, the senshi began to strike.  
  
Before I could fire off another attack, Ami grabbed my arm and pulled me off to the side.  
  
"Sailor Moon. They are removing the last crystal. You need to get it before they do." I nodded my understanding and we both waited as Zoisite removed the violet crystal from the man's body. As it floated towards him, I reached out with my powers and pulled the crystal towards me.  
  
However, Zoisite had other plans. He used his own power to pull back on the crystal, leaving us in a virtual tug-of-war. Kunzite was not going to let this go on and fired an attack at Ami and I. Although the power was extremely strong, I refused to let go of my hold on the crystal.  
  
Sensing our need for help, Rei came over to join our battle for the crystal, while the other senshi now fought against three youma, as the yellow one had now joined them.  
  
"Mars... wait until his arms are in the air, then fire. His shield will go down for just a moment." Ami informed Rei, who nodded her head in understanding.  
  
With in seconds of Ami's instructions, Kunzite released another attack of energy, but Rei intervened with a blast of fire from her fingertips. The explosion caused both Kunzite and Zoisite to fall off of their feet, and the crystal flew quickly towards me. I pocketed the crystal, noting to myself that I needed to give it to Michiru later for safekeeping.  
  
"Damn!" Kunzite yelled with a growl before transporting away.   
  
"You haven't heard the last of us brats!" Zoisite yelled as he also teleported away.  
  
"Not much for fighting their own battles, are they?" Rei muttered to herself. I nodded my agreement as we rejoined the battle, now against four different colored youma.  
  
Now, you may be wondering what happened to the audience that had come to enjoy the concert. Well, they were still there, thinking that this was some sort of show that the festival committee had planned. Unfortunately, this made them all a safety risk and easy targets.  
  
The last of the youma to be transformed, the indigo one, realized this and began to fire his attacks not at us, but at the dumb, dumb but innocent bystanders, whom were simply enjoying the show.  
  
The blue and green youma were beginning to slow down under the constant attacks by Michiru, Haruka, Mamoru, and Minako, while the yellow one was being held at bay by Rei and Ami. This left only big and ugly, and me. Really, his coloring wasn't so bad, if he hadn't have been so evil.  
  
I fired off my tiara, effectively slicing the youma in his neck, causing him to drop his hostage and center his attention on me. Great, just what I always wanted, the attention of an ugly youma! Forget Mamoru, this is all the love I need right here.  
  
Unfortunately, the play of sarcasm that was running through my brain left me unprepared when the youma shot a blast of indigo goop at me. I dodged, but it still caught me on my left foot. It felt as if acid were stinging my leg, yet I could not shake the stuff off of my foot.  
  
So, lying there, basically helpless to get up and defend myself, the youma came into my sight, hovering above me with an evil grin.  
  
I began to recite the prayers of peace that Grandfather had taught me, hoping that my soul would fly free, when and unexpected voice came to my rescue.  
  
"Dead Scream."  
  
The youma that was above me was suddenly gone, having flown across to the other side of the concert hall.  
  
"Sailor Pluto." I whispered to myself, barely believing her to be there.  
  
"I thought you could use a hand." She said as she reached down to help me stand. "Oh, now this won't do." She said, referring to the slime attached to my leg. She raised the key like staff that she had in her hand and brought it down onto my leg gently. The slime melted away, forming a gentle puddle under my leg.  
  
"Thank you." I smiled at the mysterious green haired senshi of time.  
  
"You're welcome. Before I leave, I must pass on some information to you." She said in a very business like manner. I nodded my head, curious as to what this woman would have to say to me. "The Queen asked me tell you that you should send your strength to the wand and then power it out into your attack. You are powering it and then releasing it towards your wand, which is why it drains you so much."  
  
I nodded my head in understanding as she flashed me a glorious smile.  
  
"Fight well, Sailor Moon." Sailor Pluto said as she opened a portal behind her.  
  
"Thank y..." My reply was cut off as the portal shut around the senshi.  
  
I turned back to the battle at hand, only to find that my indigo friend was up and hobbling towards me. It was obvious that he was extremely weak and I knew that he could be easily changed back.  
  
So, without a second thought, I sent off a stream of healing energy towards the creature, bearing in mind Pluto's words. Within moments he was healed back into a man with dark brown hair. He floated gently down towards the audience, who were clapping wildly. I groaned internally at the stupidity of the average human before turning to join the rest of my comrades in battle.  
  
With my ability to use the moon wand increased, it was easy to return the three battered youma to their normal human state. Thus, with everything once again good in the world, at least for the moment, we left the concert area, to a round of applause.  
  
"Well, I guess we can't say that we aren't appreciated." Michiru said with a slight look behind her shoulder at the cheering audience.  
  
"Oh yes, just what I wanted, a career in show business." Haruka replied sarcastically. She never saw the hand that smacked her on her shoulder.  
  
"Hey! I do want a career in show business!" Minako yelled at Haruka, causing us all to burst out in laughter.  
  
~*~  
  
I suppose that in my life I have learned to deal with many strange and unusual things. After all, talking cats and birds, telepathic and telekinetic powers, and the fact that I am a senshi fighting to right the wrongs of the world, are not things that a typical 14 year old can say that she can do.   
  
So, to say that I was shocked this morning would mean that something extreme was going on. Yet Rei, who I woke up suddenly with a scream, wondered what could have been so special or extraordinary to make me so hyper. You'd think by now she would trust me.  
  
'Usagi.' She moaned. 'What do you want? It's not yet dawn.' I could sense her yawning and decided to wake whatever sleep was left in her brain. Best way to do that? Bounce on the bed!  
  
"Usa!" Rei screamed at me until she finally rolled off the bed and away from my assault.  
  
"Gomen Rei, but you won't believe this!" I said with a giggle as I dragged my dear cousin towards the front door of the shrine.  
  
"This better be good." Rei muttered under her breath, but I knew that she would be as excited as I was, once she got outside.  
  
"What?" Rei's shocked voice echoed through the quiet of the shrine.  
  
"Isn't it great!" I yelled, running out into the yard.  
  
"Snow?" Rei asked, still shocked.  
  
"Come on Rei! It's so fun! I mean it's warm and there's snow on the ground! It's perfect!"  
  
"Um, Usagi..." Rei started, but never finished, as I threw a snowball at her.   
  
Talk about adding fuel to the fire. Rei began to chase after me in the snow for a while, until she caught up and assaulted me with all the snow she could gather. Finally, after an exhausting battle, be both collapsed into the snow.  
  
"Rei, this isn't a good thing, is it?" I asked, knowing that it was most likely a really bad thing.  
  
"Well, considering that it is October and the leaves have barely begun to fall of the trees...yeah, I'd say that it's a bad thing." She replied solemnly.   
  
"That's what I was afraid of."  
  
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*  
  
There ya have it folks! I hope that it lives up to your expectations, especially after I made you all wait so long. Please, let me know, as I am craving reviews! If writing is life, then reviews are definitely the food source that my stomach is craving.  
  
ChibiJ77@yahoo.com 


	15. Chapter Fourteen

When I Was A Little Girl  
  
Chapter 14  
  
By: Chibi J  
  
Rated: G  
  
Editor: Sailor Sista  
  
Um...hi!  
  
SSista: Don't mind her... she's a little tired. Here's the much wanted Chapter Fourteen! Enjoy!!  
  
Standard disclaimers apply.  
  
AN - Author's Notes  
  
EN - Editor's Notes (Sista: Wow. I feel important!)  
  
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*  
  
By the time the clock struck noon, the people of Tokyo were wishing that the bizarre snow that was on the ground in the early hours of the morning had stayed where it was. Instead, it was 101 degrees Fahrenheit outside, on a day that should have been no more than 72 degrees. The hospital was swarming with people suffering from heat stroke, and the ice cream parlors were making a fortune.  
  
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~  
  
A Brief Interlude.  
  
She frightens me sometimes, she really does. I mean, her plan for taking over the world really is great, but her ways of accomplishing it could use a little fine-tuning.  
  
"Zoisite!" An evil voice hissed out. But, being the humble servant that I am, I always put aside the feeling of bile rising in my throat when I hear her call my name.  
  
"Yes Beryl-sama." I said with a low bow to the ground. Really, the woman is only a mastermind. She doesn't have the inborn power that the other generals and I have, or should I say had. After all, Kunzite and I are the only two remaining. No, her power comes from the mysterious being called Metallia.  
  
"How is the search?" She snarls. Really, the woman could use a makeover. She could be fairly attractive, if she tried. Personally not my choice, but I'm sure that the right man is out there for her. Endymion isn't the only fish in the sea.  
  
"We have gathered two of the Nijizuishou. The Sailor Senshi have collected three." I know that I must keep my eyes away from hers and my head low, or she will kill me for insubordination. However, I'm not quite certain about killing me for the bad news I just delivered.  
  
"Very well. I expected such a distraction. Do not let them gain the rest of the crystals." She said with a wave of her hand that meant I was dismissed. Thank Kami!  
  
Resuming my full height, I gave a salute, crossing my fist over my heart before teleporting out of the throne room. It seems ironic to me that I salute her in such a way. Such a salute is one of honor that should be bestowed upon a king or queen, not a bitter woman.  
  
Yet here I am. I have spent years serving this woman and will do so until my dying day. It is all that I deserve for betraying my prince as I have.  
  
"How did she take it?" Kunzite asked as he walked into my quarters, without even knocking. I suppose when you have spent an eternity of hell with another person, you give up on manners.  
  
"Better than I had expected. I am alive still, after all." I replied with a slight groan of laughter. "She didn't even yell. Only instructed that we must not fail her again."  
  
"We won't." He replied, almost mysteriously, before leaving my quarters.  
  
The irony of life is that you give up everything for the promise of fortune and glory, only to end up a slave. I betrayed the one person that I was supposed to sacrifice my life for. Fooled into this hell and the promises it held.   
  
For my treasons, I deserve death. Yet that is the only thing this world will not grant me.  
  
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~  
  
"I'm tired." I moaned as I dragged my feet along the sidewalk.  
  
"I know," Minako replied, her disposition matching mine.  
  
"I'm hot."  
  
"I know."  
  
"I'm sweaty."  
  
"I know."  
  
"I'm..."  
  
"Will you two knock it off?!"  
  
"Gomen Rei." I mumbled. For some reason, in the terrible heat that had settled in, I couldn't find the strength and stamina my body usually maintained. Perhaps it was because I had chosen to wear my winter uniform, thinking the snow indicated that the odd weather would turn colder.  
  
"I hope Ami figures out what is going on soon. I don't think I can stand you two going through your weather mood swings much longer." Rei muttered, exposing the fact that the absurd weather was also making her quite cranky.  
  
"I agree. After all, if anyone can figure this out, Ami can." Minako said with a sigh as we continued to trudge down the sidewalk.  
  
"Thank you for the compliment." Ami said, appearing out of nowhere and practically scaring me out of my skin.  
  
"AMI! Don't sneak up on us like that!" I screamed out.  
  
"Gomen, gomen." Ami smiled. Sometimes I swear that I can see a little devil on Ami's right shoulder. "Well, I have done all the tests I can, and have come to a conclusion..."  
  
"What's that?" Rei asked, her voice full of curiosity for the answer to our miserable state.  
  
"It's the Dark Moon." Ami supplied.  
  
"And?" I prodded her on.  
  
"And that's it. I don't know how they are changing the weather patterns or why. Gomen." Ami concluded with a sigh.  
  
"That's okay Ami, I'm sure we'll figure out something eventually." Minako said with a soft smile.  
  
"Arigato Minako!" Ami said, smiling back wearily. Then, her features brightened, as if she knew some great secret.  
  
"Out with it." Rei insisted.  
  
"I don't know what you are talking about Rei." Ami replied, although her grin was as large and mysterious as the Cheshire Cats.  
  
"It's a boy." Minako and I shouted out at the same time.  
  
"What?!" Ami continued to pretend she hadn't a clue what we were talking about.  
  
"How do you figure?" Rei asked Minako and I.  
  
"Well, being the love goddess, there's just something about a girl liking a boy. And how Ami's acting right now...yeah, I'm definitely picking up boy vibes." Minako shared her philosophy with us. Actually, it ranked up there with the smartest things Minako had ever said.  
  
"And you?" Rei looked to me questioningly. We had agreed in the past to never use our telepathic abilities to steal secrets from others, and I'm sure that's what Rei was really asking.  
  
"It's written all over her face!" I insisted, but knew it really wasn't enough. "Remember how I looked right after Mamoru and I first met?" Rei nodded her head and then looked at Ami's telltale blush. "Do you see it now?"  
  
"Hai, I do." Rei agreed.  
  
"So, who is he?" Minako asked innocently.  
  
"No one, really." Ami tried. But the looks we gave her must have convinced her that it was hopeless to fight against us. "His name is Urawa Ryo. He just started here and is in all the advanced classes with me." She admitted quietly.  
  
"Awwww." Minako and I cooed, grasping onto each other in a loving embrace.  
  
"I knew I shouldn't have told you two." Ami grumbled as we continued our trip to the shrine.  
  
~*~  
  
"Mamoru!" I shouted as I skipped up to my boyfriend, who was waiting outside the shrine for us.  
  
"Hi!" He responded cheerfully, as he picked me up and spun me around in his arms. When he set me down, he placed a kiss on my cheek, causing me to blush slightly.  
  
"Awwww." Minako grabbed on to Rei this time in her attempt to enjoy romance. Ami simply blushed and looked at the ground.  
  
"What's wrong Ami?" Mamoru asked, noticing the state she was in. She didn't reply, but continued to stare at the pebbles that were randomly scattered on the path.  
  
"Ami's in love!" Minako blurted out.  
  
"Minako!" Ami shouted before chasing Minako around the shrine.  
  
"Well, some things never change around here." Haruka said with a laugh as she and Michiru approached us.  
  
"Hai, Haruka, some things will never change." Mamoru agreed.  
  
I looked around the group and came up a few people short. Haruka, Michiru, Mamoru, and Makoto had all said that they needed to stop at home before coming to the shrine, yet Makoto was still missing.  
  
"Where's Makoto?" I asked, assuming that Mamoru would know where his housemate was.  
  
"She said something about meeting a friend for a little while. She said she'd be here within an hour..." Mamoru replied absently, while watching Ami pin Minako down to the ground. "Um, should we break that up?" He said, pointing to the wrestling match.  
  
"Nah. Ami's winning, let's let her have her victory." Rei replied. I had to somewhat agree. After all, Minako shouldn't have just blurted out Ami's secret.  
  
"Well then, how about we go get settled in then?" Michiru suggested, much to our approval.  
  
Less than an hour later, Makoto arrived. She seemed slightly shocked to see Minako rather rumpled in appearance, but didn't question it. "Gomen, sorry about being late. I was meeting with an old friend, Shinozaki Kenji."  
  
"Oh. I remember him." Mamoru said with a smile. "Isn't he the one you had a cru..."   
  
Mamoru was cut off by a hand over his mouth. Makoto quickly silenced him and left no chance for him to say anymore. However, her face was a reoccurrence of another face we had seen that day. Minako noticed it as well.  
  
"Awwww." We both embraced again, causing Rei and Ami to groan.  
  
"What?" Makoto asked with a voice and expression that indicated that in no way would we survive if we finished the thoughts in our head.  
  
"Nothing." We both replied, sitting down quickly.  
  
"That's what I thought." She replied gruffly, before releasing Mamoru from her hold. He had a grin spread from ear to ear and looked directly at me. His face was screaming for me to read his mind and who am I to argue?  
  
"You kissed him on New Year's last year!" I basically screamed out. After all, a secret that good needs to be known by all.  
  
"Mamoru!" Makoto screamed, obviously knowing the source of my knowledge, and a chase commenced.   
  
After about another hour, we were finally able to get down to business. Ami filled us in on everything she could regarding the weather patterns, and we tried to determine a way of finding the last two crystal carriers. Nothing we came up with was possible and the meeting drew to an end.  
  
And apparently right on time.  
  
"Usagi?" Shingo asked, sliding open the door. "Grandfather said that you have the science calculator. We need to borrow it."   
  
"We?" I asked, getting up to get the calculator from my school bag. I hated the thing, it was so complicated, but I had needed it to keep up in class.  
  
"Um, hai," He said and stepped to the side. A girl his age stepped into the doorway. She had a pale complexion and dark black hair. "This is Tomoe Hotaru." Shingo said and the young girl bowed.  
  
"Hello Hotaru." I said with a smile. She was very pretty and Shingo's blush once again caused an "Awwww" from Minako. "This is.... (AN: let's just say that she introduces everyone. I don't think I need to go through all the names. EN: Ha ha... lazy!). It's a pleasure to meet you."  
  
"Um, well, we need to go work on our science project." Shingo said as he turned around and pushed Hotaru out of the room ahead of him.  
  
"She looks familiar." Michiru quietly spoke to Haruka, who simply shrugged her shoulders.  
  
~*~  
  
In the days that followed, the weather changed several times, leaving confused weathermen in its path. Ami was not having any more luck that previously and she was getting frustrated. The rest of us dealt with it the best way possible. For me...I enjoyed the snow and mild temperature days. The hail was a little annoying and the hundred degree days just needed to go.   
  
After a week of the weather, it decided to remain calm and quiet on Sunday. The temperature was just perfect for a picnic on the beach with a mid-afternoon swim and a game of evening volleyball. And to top it off, roasting marshmallows over a fire (AN: that's for all of you at AI!).   
  
To say that the day started out perfect would be an understatement. It was beyond perfect. All of the senshi, Mamoru, Shingo, his "science partner" Hotaru, and the two boys responsible for Ami and Makoto's blushes: Kenji and Ryo; were there.  
  
The water temperature was perfect. The picnic that Makoto packed was perfect. The volleyball game was a blast (even if my team lost to Minako's). The sunset was beautiful (especially since I spent it wrapped up in Mamoru's arms). The marshmallows were sticky, but great, and we even had some S'mores.   
  
"Ahh, it's all stuck to my fingers." I complained to no one in particular as I tried to remove it.   
  
"I'll take care of that." Mamoru suggested with a husky voice. I was more than a little surprised when he took my hand into his and began to remove the marshmallow goo with his mouth.  
  
I was in heaven. How could I not be?   
  
"Aww, were sorry to intrude on your fun, but we need something from you." A wicked voice crowed from above the fire.  
  
Damn.  
  
Looking up, I wasn't too surprised to see the voice to be that of Zoisite. Floating in the air next to him was his comrade, Kunzite. Although their faces were carved of stone as they stared down at our group, I couldn't help but sense that they weren't upset by the fact that we weren't crying and screaming.  
  
'What do we do?' I mentally shouted at Rei. Not only would we give away our secret if we transformed, but it wouldn't be just to other people. It would be to the bad guys.  
  
'I don't know!' She shouted back into my mind.  
  
Before any of us could do anything, however, the bad guys in question sent beams of light out towards Kenji and Ryo. They screamed as they were pulled up into the air. The scene at the music concert replayed in my mind, and I knew that they were carriers of the Nijizuishou.  
  
There was no option left but to transform. "Henshin yo, minna!"  
  
Shingo stepped back from us, trying to drag Hotaru with him. She seemed fascinated with what she was seeing, but not as surprised as I would have thought.  
  
"Moon Power, Make-Up!"  
  
"Mars Power, Make-Up!"  
  
"Mercury Power, Make-Up!"  
  
"Venus Power, Make-Up!"  
  
"Jupiter Power, Make-Up!"  
  
"Uranus Power, Make-Up!"  
  
"Neptune Power, Make-Up!"  
  
"Saturn Power, Make-Up!" Huh??!! What was that?  
  
As our transformations subsided, I noticed that Shingo was open-mouthed, gawking at the young girl standing next to him.  
  
"H-H-Ho-Hotaru??!!" He somehow managed to splutter out her name.  
  
"Gomen, I would have let you know earlier, but I didn't know you were who you were." She responded to the many shocked faces around her.  
  
"It's not your fault Sailor Saturn." A new voice added. One that I was finding liked to show up at the most mysterious of times.  
  
"Sailor Pluto." At least half of the senshi stuttered out.  
  
"Hai. I thought you might need some help." She said with a mystifying smile. She knew secrets, lots of them. And I had a funny feeling that she wouldn't be sharing them anytime soon.  
  
"Um," Tuxedo Kamen cleared his throat. "We might want to take care of this first." He suggested, indicating the two generals who had removed the crystals from Kenji and Ryo.  
  
I quickly tried moving the crystal from Zoisite's hand, as he seemed the weaker of the two, only to have him quickly grab it out of the air. Kunzite also grabbed onto the crystal, refusing to let it go.   
  
And they didn't need to, as we were quickly distracted from the generals to the two youma that began to attack. Kenji had turned into a large orange youma and Ryo had turned into a violet one.   
  
The two youma began to release numerous bursts of energy at us, leaving us no time to fire off any attacks, as we were too busy dodging.   
  
My heart burst as I saw a large blast of energy barreling its way towards my younger brother.  
  
"SHINGO!" My shout did little good, as he had no time to escape the blast. It hit him full on in the chest and sent him flying back several feet. Luckily, we were on the beach, so the impact on the ground did not cause him any other damage.  
  
'Shingo! Shingo!' I tried to probe into his mind to wake him, but nothing worked. I turned to leave the battle to help him, when Hotaru placed her hand on my arm.  
  
"I'll help him. You need to save your strength to save them." She said, indicating the youma. I nodded my head, sincerely hoping that she knew of a way to help him.  
  
The battle raged on in front of me, but my attention was constantly drawn to the section of the beach where Hotaru was releasing a deep purple glow into Shingo. Her hair was blowing in a mysterious wind that only surrounded them.  
  
"Sailor Moon! Now!" Someone shouted. I'm not sure whom, as my attention was so torn from the battle. I released my power through the moon wand, barely recognizing the feeling of happiness as the two youma returned to normal.   
  
"Shingo!" I shouted as I made my way to Hotaru's side. She was healing him, but she was showing signs of fatigue. I quickly placed my hands next to hers and added my energy. Together, white and purple energy danced above my brother, healing him completely.  
  
After a few minutes, we both removed our hands as we heard him start to groan. He lifted his eyelids and smiled up at me.  
  
"Usa," he whispered quietly. "I feel like I was hit by a truck." I giggled slightly as I wiped the tears from my eyes.  
  
"Hai Shingo, you kind of were." I said as I smiled down at him.  
  
"Hotaru?" He whispered as he looked up to the newest and youngest of the senshi.  
  
"Hai." She simply replied.  
  
"You're pretty." He quietly said as he closed his eyes and fell asleep.  
  
Haruka came over and lifted Shingo into her arms as Hotaru and I stood up. Mamoru immediately wrapped his arms around me from behind, holding me as if he thought I would disappear.  
  
(EN: May I just put a collective 'awwww' here?? Awwww...)  
  
~*~  
  
To say that we were all shocked when Sailor Pluto didn't just disappear from the scene of the battle was one thing. When she transformed and stood in front of us as a normal human being, we were floored.  
  
"I may be a mysterious being that rules the time gates for eternity, but I am also a Sailor Senshi. I have a duty to perform for my Princess and Prince." She explained, which really explained little at all. When we asked her to clarify, or tell us if she knew the Princess and Prince, she wouldn't answer. In the days to come, we realized that she liked being an enigma.   
  
The days quieted down, to the point where we wondered what the Dark Moon was up to. They saw us all transform and would probably have little trouble trying to determine who we were. So why hadn't they attacked anyone yet? We decided that it was best that we not meet as a whole group for a while, lest the generals show up and ambush us before we had a chance to transform. We no longer held the element of surprise. They did.  
  
The weather stabilized, but not completely. The hot weather days dissipated and left in its trail the bitter cold. It was early October and the weather should have been in the cool 50's, not the low 20's. Snow was constantly falling and the trees that never got a chance to shed their leaves, were weighed down with snow and ice.  
  
Phobos and Deimos hid in the home we had made them years ago at their arrival, and were refusing to come out. When we tried to talk to them, they just kept muttering something about evil. I wanted to scream out "DUH!" but thought that they might not appreciate it.  
  
Luna informed me that Phobos and Deimos weren't experienced with evil beings like she and Artemis. They were meant to be messengers, or in this case, seekers. They were sent out to help find us and had succeeded. That was their duty, not fighting evil.  
  
Knowing that something big was coming, we were constantly training and practicing our attacks. We quickly found that although Hotaru could heal, she could easily bring death to all. Her power was scary, but her happy personality made it impossible to be afraid of the young girl.   
  
Two weeks went by with nothing. That was more than nerve-racking and the senshi were starting to get antsy. They began to nit-pick and fight over little petty things more and more. The worse came at a practice session.  
  
"What kind of attack is that? Fog? Really, what good will that do against an enemy!?" Makoto asked, pushing the much shorter Ami in the shoulder.  
  
"Look you Neanderthal, I can't help it if your pea brain has never heard of defense." Ami replied, stretching her body as much as possible in an attempt to face off with Makoto.  
  
"Oh, yeah!"  
  
"Yeah!"  
  
With that, Makoto took a swing at Ami who easily ducked. Michiru quickly grabbed Ami while Haruka struggled to restrain Makoto.  
  
"Come on girls, we can't do this!" I pleaded with the two very upset senshi.  
  
The two girls huffed and turned and walked in the opposite directions of each other. I sighed and nodded my thanks to Haruka and Michiru, who tried to smile in understanding.   
  
I walked over to where Mamoru was sitting with Hotaru and Shingo and sat next to him. He wrapped an arm around my shoulders and pulled me close.  
  
"What has gotten into those two lately?" I absently asked myself, although I did voice the question.  
  
"I think they're just scared Usa. They both saw people that they greatly care for get caught up in this whole mess." Mamoru replied. I hadn't even thought about that before. "They are probably upset that they couldn't do anything to prevent the generals' attack."  
  
"I suppose you're right. I'm going to go talk to them." He nodded his head in understanding as I stood to leave. Having known Ami the longest, I decided to talk to her first.  
  
"Ami?" I asked quietly as I approached her. Her shoulders were shaking and it sounded as if she was crying.  
  
"Gomen ne, Usagi." She stuttered out between tears before turning around to face me. "I didn't mean to fight with her."  
  
I reached out and pulled Ami into a hug, which she graciously returned. "I know Ami. It's okay. We're all a little stressed out."  
  
"Arigato." She whispered into my shoulder.  
  
"Come on." I took Ami's hand and led her over to where Makoto was kicking an old tree stump repeatedly. Ami had a very hesitant look on her face, but I was not going to let two of my friends argue at such an important time.  
  
"Makoto. Can we talk?" I asked timidly. I must admit, her strength is intimidating, no matter how well trained you are in physical combat.  
  
"Hai Usagi." She answered roughly, still not turning around. I nodded my head at Ami and she took over.  
  
"Makoto, I'm so sorry. I didn't want to fight with you." She pleaded to the taller senshi's back.  
  
Makoto turned around to see Ami with her head bowed down. In her eyes, I could see tears that Makoto had refused to let fall. "Ami..." She whispered softly.  
  
Ami looked up to meet Makoto's eyes and the two threw themselves into an embrace.  
  
"No Ami, it's my fault. I shouldn't have been picking on you."  
  
"No, it's neither of your faults. It's the Dark Moons fault." I insisted to the girls. Both looked at me with a smile.  
  
"Aw, we get blamed for everything." Damn. Damn Damn DAMN!   
  
(EN: Oh come on... you KNEW it'd happen!!)  
  
"Zoisite." I grumbled under my breath. Of course he would wait for the most peaceful moment in days to come and attack.  
  
"Sorry to break up this touching scene, but I really need to get the Nijizuishou for my Queen. So if you would just be a sweetheart and hand them over..." He said, holding out his hand as if he expected me to just hand them over.  
  
"USAGI!" Mamoru yelled as he ran over towards where we were standing. He and the other senshi were not far from reaching us when Kunzite appeared before them.  
  
"Well, I guess if we can't do this the easy way..." Kunzite said as he swept his arm around in the air.  
  
The next thing I knew was darkness. Then falling. Then, I screamed. Around me I could see nothing, but could feel that I was falling from some great height in the air. I was gaining speed when I smacked down on my butt. The hard ground caused me to groan in pain as I stood up and rubbed my sore bottom.  
  
I could not see or hear anything around me. Nothing. No senshi. No Mamoru. Nothing.  
  
To be honest, a moment after cursing the silence, I regretted it. I would have preferred the deaf stillness as opposed to hearing the hideous cackle that surrounded the air around me.  
  
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*  
  
MWHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!!!   
  
ChibiJ77@yahoo.com 


	16. Chapter Fifteen

When I Was A Little Girl  
  
Chapter 15  
  
By: Chibi J  
  
Rated: G  
  
Edited by: Sailor Sista  
  
Well, I guess I should say that I have a bit of a writing streak going on. My hubby says it's because my nerves are on fire while I wait to hear about our house. So, unlike other people who tear paper or pace when their nervous, I write. (Yeah! We got the house! I'm so excited!!!)  
  
Well, this is dedicated to everyone who is taking the time to read it. We are nearing the end here people, so I hope you enjoy!  
  
Standard Disclaimers Apply. DUH!  
  
Usagi will be telling her part of the story. You will be able to tell, because she will be speaking in the first person (e.g. "I really hate that"). Hope that's not too confusing.  
  
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*   
  
(RECAP)  
  
"Well, I guess if we can't do this the easy way..." Kunzite said as he swept his arm around in the air.  
  
The next thing I knew was darkness. Then falling. Then, I screamed. Around me I could see nothing, but could feel that I was falling from some great height in the air. I was gaining speed when I smacked down on my butt. The hard ground caused me to groan in pain as I stood up and rubbed my sore bottom.  
  
I could not see or hear anything around me. Nothing. No senshi. No Mamoru. Nothing.  
  
To be honest, a moment after cursing the silence, I regretted it. I would have preferred the deaf stillness as opposed to hearing the hideous cackle that surrounded the air around me.  
  
~*~  
  
"You will all bow before ME!" The voice cursed. I feel that I could only describe the voice as evil. Well, perhaps a feminine evil. The bodiless voice cackled again before silence took over the empty space.  
  
"Mamoru?" I cried out, hoping that the vast darkness was hiding him from me. However, his lack of reply left me feeling frightened and alone.  
  
"REI!" I shouted, praying that someone was with me. Nothing. 'REI!' As if talking into a dead phone, there was no reply.   
  
I was truly alone.  
  
~*~*~  
  
The senshi had been teleported to the Dark Moon Kingdom and sealed into dimensionless rooms. From the hallway, it appeared that the doors were lined up in rows. But inside, space could go on forever. There was no exit inside and the only hope for freedom would be if someone were to open the door from the outside.  
  
However, unlike Usagi, the other senshi were left in groups. Inside one "cell" Rei, Ami, and Michiru were held. While a second "cell" held Minako, Makoto, Haruka, Hotaru, and Setsuna. Lastly, Mamoru along with Shingo, who was caught in the teleportation spell while running to help his sister, were trapped together. Mamoru was trying to comfort Shingo and his fears by assuring him that Usagi was definitely okay, while Shingo in turn agreed, thereby comforting Mamoru.  
  
~*~  
  
"What do they want with us?" Minako absently asked, not really thinking.  
  
"Well, Minako, what do you think?" Haruka responded sarcastically.  
  
"That's not what I meant and you know it!" Minako yelled at Haruka.  
  
"Well then, say what you mean!" Haruka yelled back. The two were staring daggers at each other and looked ready to explode into a fistfight.  
  
"Minako! Haruka! You both need to calm down!" Setsuna yelled, stepping between the two. "Fighting will not help us accomplish anything."  
  
Unfortunately, Setsuna's words did nothing to help calm the girls. In fact, it merely redirected their anger from each other onto her. Sensing an oncoming battle, Makoto and Hotaru took it into their hands.  
  
With a grin and a wink to Makoto, Hotaru began shouting at her. "Just because you're older doesn't mean anything!"  
  
Makoto quickly understood what Hotaru was doing and began to argue back. "Well that shows what you know short fry! Wisdom comes with AGE!"  
  
"Yeah, well your cooking sucks!"  
  
"And you're sickly looking!"  
  
"Your boobs are too big!"  
  
"Your boobs are non-existent!"  
  
And the insults continued. However, the battle between Minako and Haruka stopped, as they watched their two comrades continue to insult each other. Setsuna just stood back and tried to withhold a smile.  
  
"Well... your parents are dead!"  
  
"So are yours!" And the two girls grabbed onto each other and began to try to shake the living daylights out of each other. Seeing the fight escalating to extremes, Haruka and Minako both ran over and restrained a girl.  
  
"This is silly! You two need to stop fighting!" Haruka yelled as she attempted to restrain Makoto.  
  
"Really, this is no time for fighting!" Minako shouted from her position behind a squirming Hotaru.  
  
Setsuna's laughter rang out in the empty darkness, causing Makoto and Hotaru to burst out in laughter as well. Confusion settled in on Haruka and Minako's faces.  
  
"Huh?" Minako wondered out loud.  
  
"Oh, that was priceless." Makoto said as she easily removed herself from Haruka's grasp, which had slackened when the laughter started.  
  
Hotaru was freed as well and made her way to stand by Makoto. The older girl swung her arm up onto the younger's shoulder.  
  
"Priceless! Where's a camera when you need one?" Hotaru laughed.  
  
"What?" Haruka mumbled.   
  
"Gomen Haruka, but I think they were trying to give us a taste of our own medicine." Minako said as she lowered her head in shame. Haruka looked up to the three smiling faces and nodded in understanding.  
  
"Gomen Minako, I didn't mean to get angry." Haruka replied. She walked over and took Minako in a hug. "Please forgive me."   
  
"Hai, as long as you forgive me." Minako replied. They released from their hug and turned to look at their friends.  
  
"You two play dirty." Haruka grumbled as she looked at Hotaru and Makoto.  
  
"Yeah, but you deserved it." Makoto replied with a grin.  
  
~*~  
  
"Well, this was unexpected." Ami spoke out. For some time, she, Rei, and Michiru had attempted to find a way out of the darkness that surrounded them, to no avail.  
  
"Have you managed to get anything on your computer?" Rei asked, worried not just for herself but for her friends and family.  
  
"I've tried re-adjusting it several times, but nothing is working. My visor isn't picking anything up either." Ami said with a sigh.  
  
"Well, I'm picking up nothing but evil. But I suppose that would be obvious, ne?" Michiru said with a slight grin.  
  
"I suppose we should just sit and wait for what's coming, rather than waste our energy wandering around this abyss." Ami suggested and her two "cellmates" agreed.  
  
"Why do you think we were put together?" Rei asked, wondering where the other senshi were and why they weren't all in the same location.  
  
"Two theories come to my mind." Ami started, looking rather unoptimistic. "My first hypothesis is that we would be easier to defeat if separated."  
  
"Logical. I suppose that makes sense, even if the enemy has not proved themselves that intelligent in the past." Michiru agreed with Ami.  
  
"And second?" Rei prompted Ami on.  
  
"Well, look at us. What do we all have in common?" Ami asked, although neither Michiru nor Rei had any answer. Michiru and Ami both controlled water, but Rei was fire. Michiru and Rei both had extra-sensory perception, but not Ami.  
  
"We have the Nijizuishou." Ami supplied and realization and fear both crossed Rei and Michiru's faces.  
  
~*~  
  
"It'll be okay, don't worry Shingo." Mamoru said, trying to comfort himself and the child.  
  
"I know. Usa wouldn't let anything bad happen to us." He said, reassuring them both.  
  
~*~*~  
  
"Damn!" I was just getting really sick and tired of this place. It was too quiet and I hate that.   
  
I collapsed onto the ground and lay there, trying to stare up at a ceiling or something, only to have the inky blackness stare back.  
  
"Damn!" I closed my eyes, in hope that I could visualize something, anything, as long as it wasn't black.  
  
~*~*~  
  
"Well, this is getting us nowhere." Haruka complained as she crawled along the ground. After giving up on walking around in circles or so it seemed, the five senshi had decided to try to search the floor for a trap door, trip wire, or something that might ensure their freedom.  
  
"We've got to keep trying. There has to be some way out." Makoto replied, although her voice held a sense of desperation.  
  
~*~  
  
"Ami, why do you always have to be right?" Rei asked sarcastically. As if waiting for them to figure out their predicament, Zoisite and Kunzite entered the room right after Ami shared her theory of the crystals causing their group to be together.  
  
"Give them up or you will die." Zoisite commanded.  
  
"Never!" Rei shouted, determined not to let evil win.  
  
"Very well." Kunzite said with a calm and cool voice. Zoisite, however, laughed.   
  
"I will enjoy this." He laughed as he launched himself towards Michiru.   
  
Pulling her arms up to release her attack, Michiru found that she could not call on her powers. Similarly, Rei and Ami found themselves without the energy to send out their attacks.  
  
Zoisite was easily able to bring Michiru to the ground and sent a yellow glow into her body, extracting the indigo crystal. Kunzite had gone after Rei, who was fighting back. Her years of martial arts were showing, but she couldn't stand up against Kunzite's energy attacks.  
  
Finally pinning down Rei, Kunzite extracted the crystal from her at the same time that Zoisite had removed the blue crystal from Ami. The three defeated senshi were sprawled out on the ground, conscious, but exhausted.  
  
"Darn, they didn't die." Zoisite mumbled to himself as he and Kunzite teleported from the room.  
  
~*~  
  
"Do you feel anything?" Mamoru asked Shingo, who was currently standing on Mamoru's shoulders.  
  
"Nothing."  
  
~*~  
  
"Queen Beryl." Kunzite said as he bowed down low before his Queen. Next to him, Zoisite bowed down as well.  
  
"You have succeeded?" Beryl asked with a hiss.   
  
"Yes my Queen." Kunzite replied before holding out his hand with the four crystals, while Zoisite's hand held out the other three.  
  
"Excellent." She said as an evil glint shone in her eye. She walked down to stand in front of her two remaining generals.   
  
Beryl put her hands out in front of the generals, looking like a child holding their hand out for candy. The generals both tipped their hands, allowing the crystals to fall into her hands.  
  
Beryl's evil cackle spread throughout the room as the crystals lifted from her hand and begun to spin in a circle.  
  
"This is it. The ginzuishou will be mine!" She shouted into the air.  
  
Yet, as she reached up to grasp at the crystals above her head, they shot off into the air, escaping her fingers.  
  
"NOOOOO!" She screamed into the air. Both Kunzite and Zoisite fell to the ground in pain, clutching at their ears.  
  
~*~*~  
  
"Wake up my child."   
  
"Just five more minutes."  
  
"Usagi. My little bunny."  
  
I allowed my eyes to open. No one had called me bunny in a long time. It was my mother's pet name for me.  
  
"Momma?" I questioned, looking into the darkness.  
  
"Yes my child." Two voices answered from behind me. I quickly turned around to be confronted with a sight that I never thought I would see again.  
  
"Momma!" I yelled and quickly stood. I ran and threw myself into her waiting arms. "Momma." I said quietly, as she rocked me back and forth in her arms.   
  
"Yes, my Usako." She said, causing the tears to escape my eyes. This was my mother!  
  
She gently pushed me back, although she still kept me in her arms, and stared down at me.  
  
"My dear, you have grown so beautiful. I am so proud of you." Momma said, before enveloping me in a hug once more.  
  
"I'm sorry, but we do not have long." Another voice sounded. It was the same voice that had spoken with my momma's before.  
  
I pulled back from the hug and looked at the woman standing next to my mother. "Queen Serenity?"  
  
"Yes my child." She answered, gazing lovingly towards me. Now I was really getting confused.  
  
"Have I died?" I asked. Both women laughed lightly.  
  
"No my dear. You are here to claim your destiny." Queen Serenity spoke. Above her, seven different colored crystals danced in a circle.  
  
"The Nijizuishou?"   
  
"Usako, my dear, you have a very important duty to the earth." Momma said as she stroked my hair.  
  
"But I don't understand?" I questioned, wondering what was going on.  
  
"My darling, you are not just the daughter of Tsukino Ikuko, but also mine." Queen Serenity spoke, causing a lump to form in my throat, leaving me speechless. "You are Princess Serenity, the princess of the Moon and the keeper of the ginzuishou."  
  
I felt faint. I probably would have dropped to the ground, but my mother caught me.  
  
"Perhaps you should explain some more Serenity." Momma suggested.  
  
"Perhaps." Serenity replied with a smile. "Do you remember the story I told you of the Princess and her Prince, Endymion, of Earth?" I nodded my head. How could I forget, they were the key to defeating Beryl. "You are the reincarnation of my daughter, Princess Serenity."  
  
"No."   
  
"What do you mean "no" Usa?" My momma questioned me.  
  
"I mean no. You've got the wrong girl. I'm just Tsukino Usagi. Sailor Moon if you insist, but there is no way that I could be a Princess!" I ended, practically shouting.  
  
Both of the women, my "Mothers", were laughing out right. Well, so much for entertainment in this dismal place. At least someone was finding humor in this situation.  
  
"My dear, you are the Princess. And it is time for you to claim your birthright." Serenity spoke and signaled to the crystals that were still circling above her head. The crystals moved down and began to circle around my body.  
  
From deep within, I felt a warmth over-power me. In my stomach, butterflies were zooming and my head was swarming. It was as if I had no control over my own body. Suddenly, the seven nijizuishou gathered in front of my chest and stopped. They fused together and shot into my body.  
  
My mind went blank. Or perhaps it would be better to describe it as white, like an empty sheet of paper. Suddenly, the paper filled up and my mind was full to capacity with memories. Not just my current knowledge, but thoughts, feelings, and memories of a time long past.  
  
I opened my eyes and looked upon my mother. Both of them. I stood on shaking legs and threw myself at them both. I felt encompassed by love in the group hug. Yet, I knew that it would not last for much longer. I pulled away from them, tears burning in my eyes.  
  
"Thank you." I said between tears. My body was flooded with emotions and I really didn't know how to feel, a lot less how to convey my feelings to the two most important women in my life.  
  
"May you find your every happiness, my Usako."   
  
"May your life be filled with love and happiness, Serenity."  
  
The two women grasped hands and began to fade from my sight. "No! Don't leave me!"  
  
"Do not fear. We will be in your dreams as you will always be in ours." There voices spoke out in unison. With a flash of white light, the two women were gone and I was left alone again.  
  
"Momma." I cried and slumped into a pile on the floor.  
  
~*~*~  
  
"Something's wrong with Usagi!" Mamoru and Shingo both cried out at the same time.  
  
~*~  
  
"Find me those crystals!" Beryl shouted at Kunzite and Zoisite.  
  
~*~  
  
"My head hurts." Rei said as she rolled over onto her side, where Michiru and Ami still lay unconscious.  
  
~*~  
  
"Junken Po." Minako, Haruka, Makoto, Hotaru, and Setsuna said at the same time, placing their hands in different positions of a rock, paper, or scissors.  
  
~*~*~  
  
"I'm all alone."  
  
"No, I'm not. I have friends and family that love me."  
  
"I must fight, I must fight for them!" I shouted as I stood up. Inside me, I could feel a new power, the power of the ginzuishou. I was the Princess!   
  
(EN: It's all so exciting! You can almost see her bouncing about...*giggles*)  
  
I searched throughout my memories, knowing that somewhere there must be some kind of a manual for the crystal. 'Of course, with my luck, it will read like stereo instructions.'  
  
However, there was no key in my memory of how to use the crystal. But then it dawned on me; I had never used the ginzuishou before! It was my mother's crystal!  
  
"Well, grand. Now what do I do?" I mumbled out loud, wishing for some divine intervention. The memory of my first transformation into Sailor Moon entered my mind.  
  
"Look into yourself. You can only find your powers within yourself." Luna's words rang through my mind. The power was inside me. I controlled it. I knew it.   
  
"MOON CRYSTAL ACTIVATION!!"  
  
A bright white light surrounded me and pushed back the midnight blackness that had previously encircled me. The light spread out around me, but an even brighter glow started in front of me.  
  
A crystal of perfect shape, size, and cut twirled in the air in front of me. I reached out and put my hands around it. The ginzuishou's power radiated into and throughout my body. It was beautiful.  
  
I held the crystal in my hand just as a door swung open. I looked up to see Zoisite and Kunzite enter. Their mouths were open in shock and amazement.  
  
"Give us the crystal." Kunzite said, his voice only a whisper. He wasn't demanding it, but merely speaking the words that he had been ordered to.  
  
"This ends now." My voice seemed to echo in the space around me, though I hadn't raised my voice.  
  
I raised the crystal above my head and a silver glow began to pour out from the ginzuishou and my hands. It spread out in waves, encompassing everything around me.  
  
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~  
  
I told you all that I was on a writing streak!  
  
ChibiJ77@yahoo.com 


	17. Chapter Sixteen

When I Was A Little Girl  
  
Chapter 16  
  
By: Chibi J  
  
Rated: G  
  
Edited by: Sailor Sista  
  
It's 1:00 in the morning and I can't sleep. I have read a lot of other fics, but started to get bored, so I decided to write.   
  
I don't own Sailor Moon, but I just bought a house! Maybe I'll get lucky and buy Sailor Moon next month.  
  
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*  
  
RECAP:  
  
I held the crystal in my hand just as a door swung open. I looked up to see Zoisite and Kunzite enter. Their mouths were open in shock and amazement.  
  
"Give us the crystal." Kunzite said, his voice only a whisper. He wasn't demanding it, but merely speaking the words that he had been ordered to.  
  
"This ends now." My voice seemed to echo in the space around me, though I hadn't raised my voice.  
  
I raised the crystal above my head and a silver glow began to pour out from the ginzuishou and my hands. It spread out in waves, encompassing everything around me.  
  
~*~*~  
  
"It's midnight." Grandfather absently spoke out. He, Luna, Artemis, Phobos, and Deimos had been sitting on a bench in the back of the shrine for hours. He had immediately sensed when his three grandchildren had been teleported from Earth. After running to the back, where the senshi had been practicing, he confirmed his feelings. Usagi, Shingo, and Rei were gone, so was everyone else.  
  
"They'll be back, I know they will." Luna sighed. An immense amount of guilt was flooding her system. Finding the senshi gone had been upsetting, but more so was the fact that she wasn't with them.   
  
Artemis was sharing in the pain, but could not bring his worries to words. He, instead, choose to nuzzle his head into Luna's neck, trying to comfort both her and him.  
  
Five pairs of eyes were staring into the night sky when a flash of light filled the dark heavens. Although it lasted only a moment, the silver burst filled all of those who had seen it with a sense of wonder.   
  
"They will be okay." Grandfather said with a small smile forming. "Everything will be okay."  
  
~*~  
  
"I spy something black."  
  
"Haruka." Makoto groaned. After what seemed hours, the five girls had given up on searching and playing games to sit or lay on the ground. They decided to save their energy for whatever Fate had in store for them.  
  
"Gomen." Haruka mumbled.  
  
"Setsuna?" Minako asked as she turned to look at the eldest senshi.  
  
"Hai Minako." She responded.  
  
"Are we going to get out of here?" Minako asked, hoping for a positive answer.   
  
Setsuna laughed internally. For the amount of time they had been locked in, this was the first time anyone had thought to ask her about the future.  
  
"Minako, all I can say is that time is constantly changing."  
  
"So you can only be vague." Hotaru corrected her.  
  
"Correct." Setsuna replied with a sigh.  
  
The room was quiet for some time as the five senshi contemplated the predicament they were in.  
  
"I spy something silver." Haruka said as she suddenly stood up.  
  
"What?" The other four occupants of the "cell" asked. They were immediately answered by the wave of silver light that washed into the room, momentarily blinding them.  
  
~*~  
  
"Mamoru?"   
  
"Hai Shingo."  
  
"Do you love my sister?"  
  
"With all my heart."  
  
"I'm glad." Shingo dropped his head back onto Mamoru's lap, where he had been resting. For all practical purposes, it was past Shingo's bedtime and his exhaustion was taking over.  
  
Mamoru's eyes drifted shut as he listened to Shingo's even breathing. The young boy was in and out of sleep, occasionally waking to ask Mamoru random questions.  
  
Although he never saw it, Mamoru felt a warm rush move through his system as the silver light made its way past him and Shingo.  
  
~*~  
  
"Are you okay Ami?" Rei asked, as she crawled over to where her half conscious friend lay.  
  
"I will be." Ami moaned her reply.  
  
"Michiru?" Rei asked out, unsure if the older senshi had come through yet.  
  
"Hai." The whispered reply was enough of a reassurance for Rei.  
  
"Just checking." Rei said as she reached out a hand to Michiru's shoulder.  
  
The silver light was continuing on its outward path and covered over the three barely conscious girls.  
  
~*~  
  
"Damn it! What happened?!" Beryl screamed out as she threw a blast of energy at a nearby wall. "The crystal was supposed to be MINE!"  
  
The few youma that stood in the throne room with their queen hovered in fear in the corners of the room. Beryl had been on a rampage since the generals had left to find the crystals. They hadn't yet returned and the youma were worried what would happen if they didn't return.  
  
As if knowing that it was ending its journey, the silver light was slowing down as it entered the throne room. Several youma watched as the glowing light enveloped their comrades. Those that had been caught by it disintegrated immediately, sending the other youma running.  
  
Yet, nothing could escape the light, including Beryl who watched in stunned silence as the wave encompassed her.  
  
~*~*~  
  
The room cleared of the light and I could once again see. The crystal had burned the darkness away and I found that the endless blackness that I had been trapped in was just a stone block cell.  
  
I spun around, unsure if I was simply dreaming. There was an open door and in front of it were two crystals, the same as I had collected from the other two generals.  
  
"Zoisite and Kunzite." I whispered as I bent down to pick up the crystals. I placed them in my pocket with the other two for save keeping.   
  
I looked down at myself and found that I was no longer in my senshi uniform, but in a long flowing white dress. My mind flashed out and I realized that this was one of the dresses that I had worn as a princess.   
  
A gasp caught in my throat. It was the dress I died in. I was killed, on the moon. I was, am, a princess.  
  
A wave of nausea came over me and I dropped to me knees, begging my body not to pass out. Although I no longer faced the threat of the Dark Moon generals, I did not know what else might come for me.  
  
So, with determination, I made myself stand up. I swayed a little, but forced myself to walk out of the door.   
  
I entered a hallway covered in grime. (Why did evil villains have to be so dirty?) Three other wooden doors, that resembled the one I had just come through, lined the hallway. At the end of the hallway, an archway lead off to...somewhere.  
  
I decided to press my luck and open the door to my immediate right. The door was heavy and it creaked open loudly, surprising both myself and the occupants on the other side.  
  
"Hello?" I whispered, afraid that something evil may be there and I was disturbing its nap.  
  
"Usagi?" A voice that I easily recognized as Minako's cried out.  
  
"Mina!" I shouted and threw myself at my dear friend. Around me, I could hear similar sounds of happiness and suddenly felt enveloped in a large group hug.  
  
Pulling back, I looked at the girls who surrounded me. "Haruka, Makoto, Hotaru, Setsuna! You're all okay!" My voice was laced with joy that was echoed in every voice that responded.  
  
"We're fine! What happened? Where have you been? What's with the dress?" Minako fired the questions at me without a breath in between or a chance for me to answer.  
  
"I'm fine. I'll explain everything later. We need to find the others." I said, though I felt more like I was ordering. The girls didn't even try to question me again as we ran back into the hall to the next door.  
  
I reached for the handle on the door when Haruka stepped in front of me.  
  
"Please, allow me." Haruka said with a devilish voice and charming smile. I suddenly realized that I had almost lost her and a tear rolled down my cheek.  
  
"We are okay neko. So is everyone else. So no more tears." She said encouragingly as she pushed open the door.  
  
The sight that awaited us was frightening. Rei, Ami, and Michiru were lying on the ground and not moving. I quickly ran to Rei, Haruka ran to Michiru, and the others spread out amongst the three fallen senshi.  
  
"Rei?! REI?!" I called out to her as I shook her still body. Panic was overtaking my system.  
  
Slowly, her eyes opened, causing me to take the first breath since we entered the room.  
  
"Geez Usa, don't you know that you are suppose to be quiet around sick people?" Rei said in a quiet, yet sarcastic voice. I couldn't help but cry as I grabbed my cousin and best friend into my arms.  
  
Rei, Ami, and Michiru told us how the generals came and stolen the crystals.   
  
"We failed." Rei said in a defeated tone, tears rolling down her cheeks.  
  
"No Rei, you didn't." I reached out my hand to wipe the tears off of her face. "Everything is okay, you didn't fail."  
  
"But Usa, they have all the crystals." Ami spoke this time, voicing a fear that all of the senshi, except myself, were thinking.  
  
"No, they don't." I said and will the crystal to come forth. It wasn't like it sprang forth from my chest like some disgustingly cheesy horror movie. It was more like it just formed in the air directly in front of my chest.  
  
"What?" A unified question came from all the senshi. Those who couldn't bring themselves to voice the question were asking it with their eyes.  
  
"This is the ginzuishou." I said with a smile. I knew that I would be in for a lot of questions, but knew that they had to find Mamoru. "I promise, I will explain everything, but we have to find Mamoru first."  
  
A series of nods responded from the girls, although some looked disappointed that they would have to postpone the interrogation.  
  
"Third times the charm, right?" I asked as I approached the last unopened door in the hall.  
  
"Gomen Usa, but I believe that only applies if the first two attempts fail." Michiru informed me from her position leaning against Haruka. I looked to Ami where she stood with assistance from Minako, as if to get her opinion, and she nodded her head in agreement.   
  
Makoto, who had been holding up Rei, gave a slight laugh. "Don't worry Usagi, I think that it's an appropriate saying for this situation."  
  
"Arigato Makoto." I smiled and turned back to face the door. I pushed on the door and it opened surprisingly easy. My nerves felt on fire as I began to enter through the door. It could be a trap.  
  
But my nervousness died and my heart turned to mush as I looked at the scene before me. Shingo lay curled up in the fetal position with his head lying on Mamoru's lap, while Mamoru had apparently fallen asleep sitting up, leaning against a wall.  
  
"How did Shingo get here?" Rei asked as she came up to stand next to me.  
  
"I don't know." I replied as tears escaped my eyes. Seeing my younger brother and my beloved save and unharmed was having a definite affect on my senses.  
  
"He was running for you when the generals attacked. He must have gotten caught up in the transportation beam." Hotaru supplied. I nodded my head in understanding. After all, Shingo may be a pain, but he has never been one to take things lying down.  
  
I walked over to where the two lay and squatted down next to Mamoru. "Mamoru, wake up." I reached out a hand and shook him gently. It was then that I noticed that he was dressed in some kind of armor and a long cape. "Mamoru."  
  
"Hai." He said as he slowly opened his eyes. "Are you an angel?" He asked as he looked at me.  
  
"Mamoru...it's me...Usagi." My voice shook. He couldn't remember me?  
  
"Usa?"   
  
"Hai."   
  
"I love you." He said as he slipped back into sleep.   
  
~*~  
  
After our attempts to wake both Mamoru and Shingo had failed, we all decided that it would be best if we all took a rest. Rei, Ami, and Michiru held absolutely no objection, while the rest of the senshi agreed only if they took shifts watching the door.  
  
Haruka had been watching the door for some time when I decided to relieve her of her duty.  
  
"Hey odango." She quietly acknowledged me as I approached her. Everyone else was sleeping throughout the cell.  
  
"Why don't you take a break?"  
  
"No. Everyone else is sleeping and I can't leave you to guard the door alone." Haruka replied.  
  
"Why not?" I asked, planting my hands on my hips in outrage. I felt the lace on the dress I wore beneath my fingers and absently looked down at the dress.  
  
"You are the princess of the moon." Haruka answered, as if it were an everyday occurrence.  
  
"Guess it was a little easy to tell by the dress, huh?" I asked with a laugh. Haruka laughed and it felt good to hear the sound.  
  
"Well, I always had a funny feeling about you. Guess I was right." She said with a mocking bow, to which I smacked her in the head.  
  
"Knock it off. This doesn't change anything." I insisted.  
  
"Koneko, it changes everything." Haruka sighed.   
  
"No it won't." I raised my voice slightly in an attempt to sound mad. In a whisper, it came off more as annoyance. "I'm me, Usagi, and nothing will change that. Besides, who would want to worship a princess of the Moon?"  
  
"I would." I turned around to see Mamoru approaching behind me.  
  
"You-you're a-awake." I stammered out. I hadn't expected him to sneak up on me and Haruka gave no acknowledgement of him coming up behind me.  
  
"Well, now that there is a prince here to guard you, I think I'll go rest." Haruka said as she began to walk away. "I'll be right over here if you need me."   
  
"Hi." I smiled at Mamoru. The armor he wore made him look even more handsome than I had remembered.  
  
"Hi." He answered back as he stepped forward to me. Without another word, he enveloped me into a hug. "I was so worried I lost you." He whispered into my ear.  
  
"I was so scared that we would never be together again." I whispered back. He pulled away slightly and brought his head down towards mine and took my lips into his own.  
  
His kiss seemed never ending, as if we both needed each other to survive. I felt my heart swell and knew, in that moment, that I would never be able to live without him.  
  
So it was reluctance that our lips parted from one another. When he looked down into my eyes I could see his love for me shining in his blue eyes.  
  
"So, my princess, how are you feeling?" He asked with a twinkle in his eye. I had a feeling that my "title" just turned into a new nickname.  
  
"Anxious." I replied. "Very, very anxious."  
  
"Why?" He asked quietly, obviously expecting a different answer.  
  
"Because we have been here to long for nothing to have happened." My words had an apparent affect on him as I felt his muscles stiffen beneath my hands.  
  
"You're right." He said as he pulled me back from the door and turned us around so that he was the one by the entrance.  
  
"Mamoru..." I wanted to ensure him that I would be okay, but knew that any pleading would fall on deaf ears.   
  
"A princess makes an excellent target and they would be more than glad to try to hurt you." Mamoru replied. It was then that I realized that he didn't know who he was. When I transformed into the princess, the memory that stuck out the most was that of Prince Endymion. Without a doubt in my mind, I knew that Mamoru was Endymion.  
  
"Well," I began, crossing my arms in front of my chest, "A prince makes just as good of a target."  
  
"Nani?" He looked at me as if I had grown two more heads.  
  
"Have you noticed what you're wearing?" I questioned him. Obviously he hadn't, since he took a good look at the armor adorning his arms, the cape that hung from his neck, and the sword at his hip.  
  
"I'm the prince?" He whispered, not believing the possibility.  
  
"Hai." I responded cheerfully. Without a second though, I urged the crystal to my hands and held it out in front of him. With a tentative hand, he reached out to touch it. The ginzuishou flared for a moment and Mamoru's eyes went wide with shock.  
  
He turned to look at me as if I was the ghost of some long lost love. "Serenity?" Of course, I was the ghost of some long lost love, in a matter of speaking.  
  
"Hai." I replied as the crystal once again disappeared. I had barely a moment to breath before he once again grabbed me into a bone-crushing hug.  
  
"Awwww." (AN: come on here people, you didn't expect for them to sleep through it all, did you?)  
  
My head dropped onto his shoulder as I heard the collective sound of girls gushing over another's love. I pulled back from Mamoru slightly and noticed that Shingo was waking up. I laughed to myself as he rubbed the sleep from his eyes and began to look around with a very lost look.  
  
"Shingo?" I questioned him. His eyes suddenly lit up with understanding.  
  
"Usagi!" He shouted as he ran towards me. I dropped down to my knees and enveloped my brother as he ran towards me. Tears once again slipped from my eyes and I could feel his matching tears falling onto my shoulder.  
  
"It's okay Shingo, everything is okay." I reassured him as I gently rubbed his back.  
  
"I was afraid Usa, afraid that I would lose you too." He stuttered out between sobs.  
  
"I'm here Shingo, I'm here." I whispered to him.  
  
~*~  
  
After spending some time reassuring my younger brother that I was truly alive and well, I decided to fill everyone in on everything. Makoto stood watch at the door while the tale progressed and only looked away from the empty hall to occasionally ask a question.  
  
Although I had given Mamoru back his memories of our previous life, I had decided to not do the same for the other senshi. The pain of their deaths and the deaths of their loved ones was not something that anyone should be burdened with.  
  
Instead, I told everyone of their positions and titles on the moon. The fact that they were all princess's seemed to please them all. Well, perhaps not Haruka, who found out that she was forced to wear dresses everyday. The most enthusiastic was Shingo.  
  
"I told you that I could be the prince." He said with a haughty voice. "Maybe not the one you wanted at the time, but I'm still a prince." I think he was most grateful to learn that he had indeed been my brother during the Silver Millennium.   
  
I told them how the Silver Millennium was known as a time of peace, but was shattered by an ultimate evil, Metallia. The fact that she was the foe that they now faced didn't please them. Nor did the fact that the generals had originally guarded Prince Endymion before they were coerced to the side of evil.  
  
The most startling fact seemed to be that Beryl was once a lady of the court on Earth. I told them that I didn't know why she turned to evil and Mamoru didn't know why either. What it meant to me though, was that she could be healed, much like the generals had.   
  
~*~*~  
  
"What happened?" A girl, about sixteen years old with long auburn hair, lay on her stomach on the hard stone ground. She looked around herself and decided that she must have been in some kind of cave.  
  
"How did I get here?" She again questioned out loud, still receiving no answer. She stood and brushed the dirt off of her long purple gown, which was now tattered and torn.  
  
With slow, unsteady steps, she began to walk around the large cavern she found herself. Her mind was blank and she found that she could remember nothing. Not how she had gotten there, what had happened, or even where she was from.   
  
Trying to remember her name, to know avail, she lifted a hand to her head as a headache began to form. Yet the girl refused to sit down and rest. She was in search of answers and needed to find them.  
  
With determination, the girl walked through the cave, with one hand supporting her on the wall. She paid no attention to the small piles of dust that littered the ground around her.  
  
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~  
  
It's a beautiful day in the neighborhood. A beautiful day in the neighborhood. Would you be mine, could you be mine, won't you be my neighbor.  
  
ChibiJ77@yahoo.com 


	18. Chapter Seventeen

When I Was A Little Girl  
  
Chapter 17  
  
By Chibi J  
  
Rated G  
  
Edited by Sailor Sista  
  
Standard Disclaimers  
  
Okay, before I start this...I have a couple things to clear up that people asked about.   
  
1. Yes, Shingo is a prince. Why didn't his clothes change? Let's just say that he was to young to have an official outfit. Or, that I forgot about it. Whichever suits you best.  
  
2. Yes, Haruka and Michiru are basically together. It really wasn't the basis of the story, so I only gave it a little attention. It chapter 13 it was brought forward that Michiru has empathic abilities and can read others emotions with a simple touch. After she touches Haruka, she agrees that she feels the same way.  
  
3. Um...well, Metallia...yea...she is the main source of evil. A couple people asked if she was killed in the silver light. Um...  
  
And on with chapter 17, which is dedicated as usual to everyone at Aria's Ink. But, especially to Usagi (love you dre), Aria, Sailor Sista, and everyone who encouraged me to go on with this chapter. It may not have occurred if it weren't for you!  
  
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~  
  
Hours passed as we sat around in the cell where we found Mamoru and Shingo and yet nothing had happened. I could tell that everyone was getting restless, but feared what would occur if we went out exploring or simply left.   
  
So it was great difficulty that I allowed Haruka, Makoto, Minako, and Hotaru set out to explore the caves around us. The others seemed to sense my fear and did all they could to placate me. Most of their attempts failed miserably, until Shingo and Rei decided to get into a tongue war. In the midst of it all, I got involved and found myself laughing uncontrollably.  
  
Of course my spirits lifted immediately when the "search party" returned.  
  
"Nothing." Haruka simply stated as she entered the room.  
  
"What do you mean 'nothing'?" I asked, unable to believe that nothing survived.  
  
"Just that...nothing." She stated again.  
  
"We looked everywhere." Minako supplied, "But all we found were some piles of fried youma dust. No evil queen, no wandering youma, nothing."   
  
"Wow Usa, you sure know how to pack a punch." Rei said with a laugh. Shingo bobbed his head in agreement.  
  
"So what now?" Michiru asked of me. A good question if I ever heard one. Now what?  
  
"I suppose we should head home." The simple suggestion lit up everyone's faces with smiles.   
  
"But how do we get home?" Shingo asked. I could see some worry in his face at the idea of being trapped in this place forever.  
  
"We could use a Sailor Teleport." I suggested.   
  
"Sailor..."  
  
"Teleport?"  
  
Michiru and Haruka asked out, though the confused looks on all but Mamoru's and Setsuna's faces indicated that this was definitely a past memory.  
  
"Um, yeah. We all join hands and concentrate on our destination as we call on our powers. Simple."   
  
"Uh-huh...and when did you learn this simple trick?" Rei asked.  
  
"Memory?" I more asked then told.  
  
"Usagi and Mamoru have both regained many of their memories of their past lives. In time, you will all gain access to your memories. However, the crystal awakening has simply sped up their memories." Setsuna informed everyone. She had been silent for so long that I had almost forgot that she was there.  
  
"So a teleport will work to get us out of here?" Makoto questioned, as if just to get her facts straight.  
  
"According to my calculations," (AN: guess who?), "It will be the best way to travel from this place."  
  
"Well then, o' fearless leader, let's get to it!" Minako said as she pumped her fist into the air. I nodded my head in agreement.  
  
Standing in a large circle in the center of the room, we all joined our hands together. Shingo stood in the middle of the circle, as his powers were simply not strong enough to assist us. On my right, Rei stood holding my hand, looking at me proudly. On my left, Mamoru squeezed my hand tightly, his eyes shinning with love.  
  
"Mars Power!"  
  
"Mercury Power!"  
  
"Jupiter Power!"  
  
"Venus Power!"  
  
"Saturn Power!"  
  
"Uranus Power!"  
  
"Neptune Power!"  
  
"Pluto Power!"  
  
"By the power of the Earth!"  
  
"And by the power of the Moon!"  
  
"Wait for me!  
  
"Sailor Teleport!"  
  
~*~*~  
  
My mind swam, as if I were simply floating in the shell of my body. The teleport, fused of all of our powers, directed itself through me. Everyone's energy pulsed in my body, if only for a brief moment, leaving me with a piece of each person inside me. It was exhilarating and exhausting all at once.  
  
Yet, within a moment, it was all over. I felt my feet touch down on ground and the magic dissipate. Putting a hand to my head to stop the dizziness, I looked around to find that not only did the teleport succeed, but it had landed us in my backyard.  
  
A large smile overtook my face when my eyes landed on Grandfather, Luna, and Artemis. The sun was shining and their haggard appearances led me to believe that they were up all night.  
  
However, my joy was short lived as a collective gasp emanated from the entire group of senshi. In the center of the quickly dissolving circle of senshi was a girl with red hair. She was huddled in a ball, so no one could really see her face. Then it dawned on me...someone yelling as we called out the sailor teleport.  
  
Shingo, who had also been standing in the center of the circle, quickly made his way to my side. I could tell that no one knew whom this girl was, but that wouldn't last for long.  
  
Haruka, always feeling that she needed to be the strongest and bravest, dared to step forward.  
  
"Excuse me?" She said quietly as she tapped the girl on the shoulder. The girl unwound herself from her huddled position and looked up to Haruka.  
  
"I'm sorry...I just didn't want to be left behind." The girl said in a soft whisper, as if it hurt to speak.  
  
"Who are you?" Michiru asked, coming up beside Haruka.  
  
"I don't know. I can't remember anything." The girl said as she began to break down into tears. I felt a great wave of sympathy for her and decided that I needed to help comfort her. Yet I hadn't seen her face and for some reason, I knew that what I saw would be greatly important.  
  
"It's okay, don't cry." I said as I approached the girl. She turned her tearstained face towards mine. My mind swam.   
  
'Beryl!'  
  
"Beryl!" Rei shouted, having easy access to my unguarded thought. Of course, this sent the senshi into an uproar.  
  
Before I could even blink, Mamoru had thrown me behind him and Haruka and Jupiter were taking up defensive positions on either side. The other senshi were nearly growling with anger. Yet Beryl did nothing, except to fall back to the ground in a heap of tears.  
  
"Please don't hurt me." She pleaded weakly. Her pitiful cries reached my ears and I instantly knew that there was something terribly wrong with this entire situation.  
  
"Stop!" I yelled out and forced my way out from behind Mamoru. I walked up to the girl, much to the protests of the other senshi, whom refused to let down their guard.  
  
I squatted down next to Beryl and reached out a hand to her. She quickly jumped in fear, something that the evil queen would most likely not do. Although none of had met her in this lifetime, I knew that this shivering weak girl was not the same woman whom we had been battling.  
  
"It's okay. I won't hurt you." I assured her as I reached my hand out to her shoulder. Her body was shaking beneath my touch and she still refused to look up. Slipping a hand under her chin, I finally brought her face up to my own.   
  
And in her eyes I could tell that she was as innocent as a newborn babe. Her eyes reflected nothing of hate or violence, not even the everyday kind. Her spirit was clean, as if washed of everything in the past.  
  
'Rei, what do you see?' I asked. Rei's ability to read auras would surely confirm my suspicions.   
  
'White. Pure white.' Rei replied, slightly surprised.  
  
"Don't worry. You are safe with us." I assured Beryl, knowing that no harm would come from her now.  
  
~*~  
  
"What is this? It tastes wonderful!" Beryl asked me. We were sitting in the kitchen while the other senshi were gathered in Rei's bedroom discussing the entire situation.  
  
"It's called ice cream. Black cherry ice cream to be exact." I respond, laughing slightly at the expression on her face. I finally know what I look like when I dive into a chocolate sundae. "You really don't remember anything, do you Beryl."  
  
"No, nothing. Well, little things like that what common objects are called. I remember the sun and moon and grass and stars. I remember a really pretty red flower, but not its name or its scent." She replied between bites of ice cream.  
  
"I'm sorry that you can't remember anything." I said sadly. I had lost so much in my life, but she had lost everything.  
  
"Usagi, why don't the other girls like me?" She asked, true concern shinning in her eyes.  
  
"Gomen Beryl, but they just are a little nervous around new people." It wasn't a complete lie.  
  
"Oh. Um, Usagi?"  
  
"Yeah?"  
  
"Could you not call me Beryl? I don't like that name."   
  
"Oh, gomen. What would you like to be called?" I asked, actually quite happy to change her name from her previous, much more evil sounding, name.  
  
"I don't know." She replied quietly. I could tell that she was trying to come up with a memory to supply her name, but was unsuccessful.   
  
"How bout Akai?" I suggested. (AN: akai is red. As in the color of her hair.)  
  
"Akai." She sounded the name out. A smile came to her face as she nodded her head. "I like Akai."  
  
"Then Akai it is." I agreed with a large smile. For a past evil queen, she really was a nice girl.  
  
Akai picked up her bowl and took it towards the sink. She was still dressed in the left over rags of a purple gown. Her hair and face were dirty and desperately needed a shower.  
  
"Akai, how would you like a make-over?" I asked. Although I tried to disguise my joy, I'm sure she saw the glint in my eye.  
  
"A make-over?" She asked. However, I left no room for answers as I grabbed her arm and led her to the bathroom.  
  
~*~*~  
  
In Rei's bedroom.  
  
"It just seems suspicious, that's all I'm saying." Haruka grumbled from her spot on the floor.  
  
"It's just weird, that's all Haruka." Michiru tried to comfort her friend.  
  
"It will just take some adjusting." Minako added. "Besides, you said she's okay, right Rei?"  
  
"Yes. Her soul is pure and clean. There is no sign of any evil in her body." Rei confirmed.  
  
"Plus she wasn't always evil." Mamoru added in. "She used to be Lady-In-Waiting to my mother, the queen of Earth." He finished, shaking his head in realization. He could remember his parents. Perhaps they weren't his parents of this time, but it still amazed him.  
  
"I suggest that we all give her a chance." Ami suggest. Nearly all of the heads in the room nodded in agreement.  
  
"Well, I suppose so." Haruka mumbled. Several sighs were heard around the room. If there was one thing that all of the senshi had come to deal with, it was Haruka's trust, or lack thereof.  
  
~*~*~  
  
"You look great! They are not going to believe this!" I was gushing with excitement as I led Akai down the hall towards Rei's room. She simply blushed from behind me.  
  
With a quick knock on the door, I slid open the screen of the door. "Hey! I want you all to met Akai." Who didn't walk through the door. Everyone in the room had a look of confusion on their face as I disappeared into the hall to grab the shy girl.  
  
"Who's Akai?" Mamoru whispered to Rei, who was sitting beside him. She shrugged her shoulders, indicating that she had no idea.  
  
I quickly grabbed onto Akai's arm before she had a chance to run away and pulled her into the room. A collective gasp escaped from every mouth in the room.  
  
"Everyone, I'd like you to meet Akai." I said as I waved my hands in front of the reformed evil queen.   
  
She lifted a shy hand and simply waved. She was dressed in one of my light yellow sundresses, which exposed her slim body and delicate skin. Her red hair was cut to her mid-back, partly pulled back in a small clip. Her fire red eyes shone behind long lashes, her cheeks red with mild embarrassment.   
  
"Beryl?" Makoto questioned, voicing the question on the top of everyone's mind.  
  
"Please," Her gentle and quiet voice rang out, "Please, call me Akai." She said as she bowed towards everyone in the group.  
  
Then, as if one of Makoto's lightening bolts had gone off in the room, everyone stood and began to introduce themselves to Akai.  
  
~*~  
  
As night approached, exhaustion was evident in every pair of eyes. Although we had all slept some in the "cell", the long day was taking its toll.  
  
Although some were a little reluctant to leave, eventually everyone made their way home. Grandfather agreed that Akai could stay at the shrine, knowing that his family was in no danger of the shy girl.  
  
Sleep came quickly for me, filled with many dreams. Yet in the morning, I couldn't remember any of them. That was extremely strange, since I had never had a dream that I couldn't remember. So, while rubbing the sleep from my eyes and contemplating the strange situation, I made my way to the breakfast table.  
  
My entire family and Akai, who seemed to be in a cheerful mood, greeted me. I brightened up upon seeing her smile. Even though I had healed several youma in the search for the nijizuishou, healing an evil queen to the point of innocence was a wonderful feeling.  
  
Thankfully, it was Sunday and we were free to enjoy the entire day. With the evil banished, we could live a more normal life. Well...as normal as a telepathic, telekinetic, healer can live.  
  
With a few well-placed calls, it was agreed on that we would all meet at the park at noon for a picnic. After all, the sun was shining, the air was light, and there was no call for rain for days.  
  
~*~  
  
"Makoto! This chicken is delicious!" I gushed, trying to grab another piece, only to be swatted at by Rei.  
  
"Save some for us!" She scolded me. I frowned, but knew that I would get my way in the end!  
  
"Mamoru!" I whined. To which he handed me a piece of chicken from his plate. I turned to Rei and blew a raspberry at her.  
  
Laughter exploded out from everyone, even Akai, who had been eating quietly.  
  
Shortly after eating, a game of volleyball started. Of course, Minako's team was going to win, but it was still fun.  
  
The score was 12-10 to Minako's team when a dark cloud rolled in. It was strange, extremely dark, and single. As in there were no other clouds in the sky. Thus, a great feeling of apprehension filled everyone.  
  
Luna, who had been sitting on the picnic blanket by a tree, stood and began to hiss. Artemis soon joined her. In Rei's eyes I saw absolute fear.  
  
"It's pure evil." She whispered, more to herself than anyone else.  
  
"Minna! Henshin yo!" I yelled out to my friends, really not afraid if anyone else heard me or saw us.  
  
But before I could even transform, the dark cloud spread out and an evil cackle echoed through the air. What could be discerned as a pair of red eyes glowed in my direction.  
  
"You may have saved her..." The voice, which could claim neither a male or female tone hissed in the air. I felt chilled to the very bone. "But you will not save yourselves or this world!"  
  
With that, bolts of energy (which looked like black lightening) fired out from the being.  
  
The senshi who had transformed began firing attacks at the cloud, not having any affect. Energy bolts continued to fire, leaving us trying to dodge from them.   
  
Throwing me behind a tree, Mamoru quickly kissed me on the cheek before whispering for me to transform. I nodded my head as he transformed into Tuxedo Kamen and headed out into the fray.   
  
Quickly transforming, I prepared to run out and face whatever the black cloud was, when I heard crying from behind a nearby bush. There I found Akai curled into a ball, with Luna and Artemis trying to comfort her.  
  
"Akai?" I asked out as I approached her. "What's wrong?"  
  
"I...I remember...I remember her!" She said, pointing up to the cloud. "She hurt me, tried to kill me." She spoke quietly between sobs.  
  
"What is it?" I asked. She had said it was a she? How could Akai tell?  
  
"She...she's Metallia." Akai whispered, afraid that the creature would hear her.  
  
"Metallia?" I asked out loud.  
  
"That's right! I am Metallia!" The black cloud called out, looking straight at me. Akai yelped in fear and balled herself up again. "And you Beryl are no longer any good to me!" With those words, she sent a very specific beam of energy right towards Akai.  
  
Knowing nothing else to do, I jumped and pushed Akai out of the way, taking the brunt of the blast in my side.  
  
"USA!"  
  
"USAGI!"  
  
I heard the voices yell, but was paralyzed to do anything. Beside me I could hear Akai weeping, but could not get up to comfort her.  
  
"At last the moon princess will finally meet her doom!" Metallia hissed, sending several more bolts of energy towards me. I closed my eyes in anticipation, but never felt anything. Opening my eyes, I found myself in Mamoru's arms. Yet, in the spot where I had stood, both Haruka and Rei laid in a pile, unmoving.  
  
"NO!" I screamed and tried to bury myself into Mamoru's arms.   
  
Mamoru's jump landed us some distance from the battle, yet I could see that all of my friends were quickly being knocked down by the evil entity. Tears welled up in my eyes at the sight.  
  
"Usa, I need to go help them." Mamoru said with a sad voice. I could tell that he feared his demise, but knew that his duty came first.  
  
I nodded my head in understanding. He bent down and kissed me gently on the lips before setting me down on the ground. Watching him leave me, I attempted to get up, so that I might fight by his side. Yet I could not move. My head seemed to be the only cooperative part of my body; unfortunately it allowed me to turn to see the battle.  
  
Only three warriors were left standing, Mamoru, Minako, and Makoto. Everyone else was scattered around what had been a beautiful picnic site. My heart exploded as I looked upon my fallen comrades. Surely we hadn't fought for so long to end like this.  
  
Yet, I was forced to watch the energy bring Minako to her knees before she collapsed completely. Makoto was struck in the chest and fell backwards without a scream.   
  
But Mamoru, he struggled on. He continued to fight, although it seemed to be a useless battle. My heart was aching and I felt as if death would be welcomed. Then it happened.  
  
Mamoru was struck down.  
  
~*~*~*~  
  
Author's point of view.  
  
A scream, unlike any sound ever heard by human ears, shrieked out of Usagi's throat. The tears that had been pouring from her eyes suddenly stopped as her eyes turned from sky blue to a deep black.   
  
With a will of it's own, her body rose from the ground and began to move forwards, straight towards Metallia. Her mind was focus on only one thought, NOT AGAIN! She had seen everyone in her life die once before. But now she was living a new life. Yet she had her share of death and wouldn't stand for any more.  
  
"Princess." Metallia's voice hissed out in almost a sense of joy. But the words never entered Usagi's ears, as she could hear nothing but the one thought.  
  
'Not Again.'  
  
'NOT AGAIN!'  
  
"NOT AGAIN!!!" She screamed out as a bolt of black energy rushed towards her. Yet, without a thought, the ginzuishou appeared in front of her. Time moved in slow motion as she reached out towards the powerful gem.  
  
As her hand closed around it, a white light pulsed around her. In less than a blink of an eye, she was dressed again in a flowing white gown. On her head rested a tiara and from her back wings flew out. On her head, a golden crescent moon shone out.  
  
Her arms shot out in front of her, the ginzuishou between her hands, and she smiled.  
  
"Not Again." She whispered. With the single phrase, the ginzuishou exploded with light. A silver beam shot out and quickly cut apart the dark energy, continuing towards Metallia.  
  
The silver beam struck the dark being in what would most likely be considered her center, causing the beast to scream out in anguish. Yet, Metallia refused to give in. Bolt after bolt of energy was shot towards the princess. The ginzuishou, however, was fighting for her and quickly dissolved the beams before they could strike.  
  
On the sidelines of the battle, Akai, Artemis, and Luna sat, watching the battle with awe. The energy that Metallia had shown seemed unbeatable, yet Usagi was standing still.  
  
Luna lowered her head and prayed to any deity that sought fit to listen. Artemis soon joined her while Akai still watched on, sending her hope to the beautiful woman who had befriended her so easily.  
  
Luckily, the heavens were listening.  
  
'Not Again! Not Again! Not Again!' The thought raced over and over again in her head like a mantra. She would not lose it all again, not today.  
  
'Usagi.' A soft voice entered into her mind, quickly cutting off the chant.  
  
'Momma.' A tear made its way from Usagi's eye. Although the attack was still going strong in front of her, Usagi's mind was in its own plane of existence.  
  
'My dear bunny, you make me so proud.'  
  
'I don't think I can do it momma.'  
  
'My dear, I have always known that you were meant for great things.'  
  
'But momma...'  
  
'No buts, you can do it.'  
  
'She's right my princess.'  
  
'Mother.'  
  
'You can do it.'  
  
'How?'  
  
'You must focus on the future. Think not of what you have lost in the past, but what you need to save for the future.'  
  
'Momma, Mother, I don't know if I can.'  
  
'Of course you can bunny.'  
  
'Of course you can princess.'  
  
Although she once again tried to protest, there was no one to protest against. As mysteriously as the voices had entered her mind, they had disappeared again.  
  
'Focus on the future.'  
  
Bringing her attention back to the battle, she suddenly knew what she had to do.  
  
"You will not defeat me Metallia!" She roared out. The black entity merely laughed at her.  
  
"You think your petty words will hurt me?" Metallia laughed out in a sickly tone.  
  
"No. But my power will." Usagi said as she took a step forward. The pressure on her legs was barely tolerable, but she knew what needed to be done.  
  
"This is for my family!"  
  
Another step.  
  
"This is for my friends!"  
  
Another step.  
  
"This is for Mamoru!"  
  
Another step.  
  
"This is for love!"  
  
Another step.  
  
"This is for the future!"   
  
Her final scream had left her only a few feet from Metallia, who had not been as actively firing energy out towards the princess. The silver energy was overpowering her as Usagi stepped forward and she was beginning to lose.  
  
With a last effort, Metallia gathered all of her remaining strength and shot it forward.   
  
"MOON CRYSTAL POWER!"  
  
The black energy barely had a moment to move forward before the silver energy ripped it apart. Heading directly towards Metallia, the energy sliced through the entity.  
  
A dark and terrifying scream ripped through the heavens as the black cloud known as Metallia was completely encompassed by the silver light. An explosion of light that was brighter than any exploding star covered the entire Earth.  
  
And the young girl known as Usagi fell into unconsciousness.  
  
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~  
  
Okay, so I know this was suppose to be the end, but you know how sometimes you start writing and you just can't stop...well, that kind of happened here. But, don't worry! The epilogue will be coming. Do you hear that? Epilogue...that means the end. Officially.  
  
ChibiJ77@yahoo.com 


	19. Epilogue

When I Was A Little Girl  
  
Epilogue  
  
By: Chibi J  
  
Rated: G  
  
Edited by: Sailor Sista  
  
Dedicated to Dre, L, and Kat. For although times may change, our spirits always remain the same. My little triplet sisters, we are family...now and always.  
  
Umm, have I ever owned this yet? I don't think so.  
  
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~  
  
It was to become the story that almost every child would hear at bedtime. For generations people would speak of it. How, on one not so special day, a bright light filled the hearts and souls of every person on Earth. And no scientist, except for those paid by government officials, could testify that what they saw wasn't a miracle.  
  
For within the bright white light that covered the world, all had seen a vision. An angel had come to Earth and enveloped the planet in her arms. She promised that peace would prosper and the minions of evil would never again befall the Earth.  
  
And although none could ever identify the angel as an actual human, everyone knew that her words would hold true.   
  
~*~  
  
When I woke up this morning I was truly grateful for the sun that warmed my body through the window. I could hear birds singing as they flew through the trees and even recognized the sounds of Phobos and Deimos cawing at each other in a petty argument.  
  
It truly was turning out to be a great day.  
  
'It would be a better day if you would get out of bed, already.' The nagging voice of my beloved cousin rang in my head. The thought of ever losing her briefly crossed my mind before quickly fleeing. We would never be separated. Never.  
  
With a sigh I pulled myself from the warmth of my bed. I trudged into the kitchen where I was met by more people than I had ever imagined could fit in the small space. With a bright smile and a small wave I made my way to the fridge, noticing how everyone seemed completely involved in their coffee.  
  
Yet there was a face missing from the crowd. Mamoru.  
  
With a brief search, I found him watching TV in the office next to Shingo's room. Quietly I sat next to him and without a word he wrapped his arm around me, still staring at the television. Intrigued by his attention, I began to listen to the anchorwoman.  
  
"At 5:26 yesterday evening many of you may have witnessed what scientists are calling the event of the century. Alpha Centaur went supernova and exploded, causing light to cover the entire earth. Although they had not realized how close the star was to explosion, scientists have said that it was a mistake easily made."  
  
"Alpha Centaur huh?" I asked with a slight giggle.   
  
"Well, I think you're brighter than any star, personally." Mamoru said with a slight twinkle in his eye. "Although I am curious as to how they will explain the giant black cloud that was seen moments before the "star" exploded only to be gone moments later."  
  
"Rain cloud misplaced by the local zoo?" I was now laughing outright and attracted the attention of several people pouring out of the kitchen.  
  
"I don't know how you can be so chipper, Usagi. You act as if you save the planet everyday." Haruka said with a grumble, holding her coffee cup close to her body as if she was scared that it might leave her.  
  
"Well, we kind of did save the world on a daily basis for a while, if you think about it." Makoto said, following behind Haruka.   
  
Noticing that the small office space was no bigger than the kitchen, we all headed out onto the shrine steps. The air was crisp, yet clean and refreshing in my lungs.  
  
"Yeah, but not like Usa did yesterday." Rei pointed out.  
  
"True." I agreed, and thought back to the day before.  
  
*~*Flash*~*  
  
With a last effort, Metallia gathered all of her remaining strength and shot it forward.   
  
"MOON CRYSTAL POWER!"  
  
The black energy barely had a moment to move forward before the silver energy ripped it apart. Heading directly towards Metallia, the energy sliced through the entity.  
  
A dark and terrifying scream ripped through the heavens as the black cloud known as Metallia was completely encompassed by the silver light. An explosion of light that was brighter than any exploding star covered the entire Earth.  
  
And the young girl known as Usagi fell into unconsciousness.  
  
Or so it seemed to those who were standing around her.  
  
However, Usagi was very much in a conscious state of mind...wherever in her mind that she actually was. For it was certain that what she was seeing couldn't be reality.  
  
Before her, surrounded in a strange mist, were the four generals who had fought against her with Queen Beryl.   
  
A slight burning in the palm of her hand caught Usagi's attention and she opened her hand to find the four crystals that had been left behind by each general.  
  
With an instinct of their own, the crystals flew above the head of each general. The crystals rotated in their spot, a soft glow emitting from each one.  
  
"All you have to do is accept them back." A soft voice spoke from the mist. It was nowhere and everywhere all at once. The words reverberated from the walls, yet there were no walls.  
  
The voice was quickly recognized. "Queen Serenity." Usagi gasped, startled once again by the woman. "Mother." She whispered, as if still believing this all to be a dream.  
  
"Accept them into your heart, my daughter." The voice trailed off, leaving Usagi alone to look at the four men who seemed to dangle in the air in front of her.  
  
"Accept them." She whispered to herself. With a nod, more to herself than anyone else, the crystals grew brighter until she could no longer see.   
  
~*~  
  
The Sailor Senshi, Mamoru, Shingo, Grandfather, and Akai were all huddled around the limp form of Sailor Moon. She wasn't responding to anything and Sailor Mercury's scans indicated that her body was quite weak. All feared that she would not be able to pull through. Mamoru held her tightly to his chest, whispering soft words that only she could hear.  
  
Tears coursed down the faces of all present and soft weeping noises were the only sound carried on the wind. The world around them seemed not to exist, for their princess was their world and they could be nothing without her.  
  
A gasp emitted from Mamoru, causing everyone to return their attention to the couple in front of them. Usagi's body was rising from the pile on the ground where she had fallen. A bright glow began to form around her body as she stood straight up. Yet her eyes did not open.  
  
Time seemed to slow down to a near stop as all waited for something, anything, to happen. And when it did, it surprised them all.  
  
Usagi's body began to spin in midair, as a child spins with their arms open wide. The light glow became brighter until everyone present had to shield their eyes from the light. Yet, as suddenly as it had started, it stopped.  
  
Princess Serenity stood before her Senshi, family, and the love of her life with a smile. And at her feet, kneeled four men in armor.   
  
*~*Flash*~*  
  
Slowly, everyone made it out onto the front steps, some looking worse than others. Of course, the worse, in my opinion, seemed to be poor Jadeite.   
  
"Sorry again about that Jadeite." Haruka mumbled over the rim of her coffee cup.   
  
"It's okay, I'll live. After all, I would have fired at seeing me too." Jadeite replied, although he secretly wished that it had been someone with a little less firepower to take the first shot.   
  
Haruka, along with Rei and Makoto, acted immediately upon seeing the previous dark generals alive again. Their shots had fired out before I even had a chance to explain. Of course, it wasn't exactly like they were on good terms the last time any of the senshi had seen the generals. It had actually taken a good couple of hours to assure everyone that all was okay. In truth, I knew it would be a while until everyone could completely trust them.  
  
A peaceful quiet covered the area of Hikawa Shrine. And although every mind buzzed with unanswered questions, only one had decided to speak out.  
  
"So Usa," Minako started as I turned in Mamoru's arms to see her. "What do we do now?"  
  
A smile covered my face as I looked at my good friend. I knew she wasn't asking about what we were going to do for the day. No, she wanted a long-term answer.  
  
"To be honest, I don't know. But I'm sure this can't be the end of it all." I replied. Her smile indicated that she accepted the answer.   
  
Silence reclaimed us and we sat and enjoyed what seemed to be the most peaceful day we had all experienced in a long time.  
  
~*~  
  
As the day grew warmer, so did the attitudes of the occupants of the Hikawa Shrine. To passersby, it seemed that there was a party being held. For why else would so many people litter the stairs of the sacred shrine chattering away.  
  
Yet to those present, the only celebration was an ever-present internal celebration of the joy of life.   
  
The End. 


End file.
